Astudy published originally in Live Science recently highlight that “Eating out may come with a higher risk of catching Covid-19 than riding public transportation or getting a haircut at a salon.”

The findings received from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), highlight the risk of activities in which people can’t always wear a mask and practice social distancing, such as eating and drinking while at a restaurant.

According to the science news website, researchers analysed information from 314 adults who were tested for Covid-19 at one of 11 health care facilities across the US. All the participants had experienced some symptoms that led them to be tested. About half of the participants had received a positive test, while the other half received a negative test.

Participants were interviewed about activities they engaged in during the 14 days before their symptoms started, including going to a store, gym, office, salon, bar or coffee shop; attending religious services, using public transportation or dining at restaurants.

It was revealed that, “Overall, people who tested positive for Covid-19 were twice as likely to report dining at a restaurant in the 14 days prior to becoming sick than people who tested negative. And when the researchers excluded people who had a known contact with Covid-19, they found that those who tested positive were nearly three times more likely to report dining at a restaurant, and nearly four times more likely to report going to a bar or coffee shop, than those who tested negative.”

The report disclosed that no other activities from the survey were linked with an increased risk of Covid-19. The authors note that one limitation of their study is that it did not distinguish between indoor and outdoor dining.

The conclusion by the authors was: “Exposures and activities where mask use and social distancing are difficult to maintain, including going to locations that offer on-site eating and drinking, might be important risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

The CDC’s recommendation to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 while dining at restaurants include:

• wearing a mask as much as possible when not eating;

• maintaining a six-foot (1.8 meters) distance from people you don’t live with;

• sitting outside when possible;

• calling ahead to ask whether all staff at the restaurant are wearing masks at work. n

Source: Livescience.com

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 19th, 2020