July 2020 COVID-19 News
TL:DR
Check out this graphic on Exposure Risk! It can help you in making the decision, “How safe is it to _________?”
The Take-Home:
Remember that these are relative risk comparisons; the absolute safest thing is for you to stay at home.
It is more likely for you to encounter a person who is spreading virus while not displaying symptoms than it is for you to encounter a symptomatic person in public.
Wear a mask every time you leave your home and keep it on until you return. Wearing a mask which covers only your mouth and not your nose is not effective.
Wash your hands upon entering your home, prior to eating or touching your face, after handling your cellphone, after handling potentially contaminated material, i.e.: frequently.
Limit the time that you spend indoors with other people. A viral exposure enough to cause infection can be acquired in as few as 15 minutes. The risk of infection increases with increases in time spent with people and decreases in distance from people.
Maintain your distance, at least 6’-10’, from all who are not members of your immediate household. We know that you miss your friends: we miss our friends, too!
The Background:
There has been a surge of COVID-19 illness over the last few weeks that follows as direct result of decreased participation in wearing masks and proper social distancing procedures. In many cases, the opening of commercial businesses has been misinterpreted as an indication that the danger of exposure associated with certain activities has decreased.
The Caveats:
The data compiled in the chart is based on the opinions of medical experts in Texas. Although this may sound a bit sketchy, “we are in the District of Columbia—not Texas(?!)”, the advice is based on sound reasoning. These expert opinions are based on evidence based data on general medical knowledge, infection control, immunology and virology.
The Evidence:
https://www.texmed.org/uploadedFiles/Current/2016_Public_Health/Infectious_Diseases/309193%20Risk%20Assessment%20Chart%20V2_FINAL.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html
Qifang Bi*, Yongsheng Wu*, Shujiang Mei*, Chenfei Ye* et al., Epidemiology and transmission of COVID-19 in 391 cases and 1286 of their close contacts in Shenzhen, China: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis 2020 Published Online April 27, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/ S1473-3099(20)30287-5
Y. Zhen-Dong, Z. Gao-Jun and J. Run-Ming et al., Clinical and transmission dynamics characteristics of 406 children with coronavirus disease 2019 in China: A review, Journal of Infection, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2020.04.030
Author: Jennifer Mills, M.D., F.A.C.P.
