Editor’s Note: There are few risk-free activities during the Covid-19 pandemic, but there are ways to mitigate the risks. Of course, fully vaccinated people have a much lower risk of contracting and spreading the coronavirus than people who have not been vaccinated. CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen advises you to address activity decisions with this in mind.
(CNN) – As the percentage of the population vaccinated increases, you may wonder if it’s finally time to enjoy a non-homemade or takeaway meal.
Upstairs, people eat indoors while indoor food continues to open in New York on March 24th. Physical distancing, barriers, and good ventilation are some of the ways to reduce the risk of Covid-19.
STRF / STAR MAX / IPx / AP
“You still have to be very careful in being in these areas,” said Dr. Ada Stewart, a family physician at Cooperative Health in Columbia, South Carolina, and president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. “You’re in a crowd and you don’t know the condition of many of these people.”
Due to the distribution of restaurants, it can be difficult to maintain social distancing. And because restaurants can be noisy, people can speak louder and louder, which could increase the chance of spreading coronavirus through respiratory drops. Depending on the ventilation flow of a restaurant, respiratory droplets and potentially coronavirus-laden air can build up or spread beyond 6 feet.
Given these risks, the CDC guidelines on indoor restaurant dining are the same for both vaccinated and non-vaccinated people.
If you are completely vaccinated and infected, you are unlikely to get sick with symptoms of Covid-19, Stewart said. But it is possible that “you may expose another person to the disease, who may end up suffering from a serious illness.”
If you plan to eat out, first check if the restaurant meets the prevention measures recommended by the CDC. You can check out the restaurant’s website or call the business and ask. Risk-reducing restaurants include establishments that have outdoor and spaced seating; that staff and guests wear masks when not eating or drinking; and that its menu is available online.
Eating and drinking outside an establishment is safer, the CDC says, as potentially coronavirus-laden air or respiratory drops would not flow in an enclosed space.
Limit alcohol consumption so you can make a proper judgment. Order individually wrapped condiments (including salt, pepper, and ketchup) if possible and don’t share food. Because the risk of infection increases the longer you stay in an area, limit the time you spend in the restaurant, the CDC suggested.
“If you’re very close to other people and there are a lot of packed diners, that’s when I would try to limit the time as much as possible,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN medical analyst and visiting professor of health policy and management. to the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Other things you can do to minimize the time you spend in the restaurant include ordering in advance and not ordering snacks or more than one dish.
However, if you are completely vaccinated and “you can separate them from others by at least 6 feet and eat with someone who is also completely vaccinated,” Wen said, “I would not have a limitation to this time period.” Anyone who wants to eat must also be completely vaccinated.
Everyone should do it cover coughs and sneezes, and practice frequent hand washing.
Top image: Above, people enjoy lunch at the Grand Central Market while the indoor dining room reopens in Los Angeles on March 15th.