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 coronavirus than people who have not been vaccinated. CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen advises you to approach business decisions with this in mind.
(CNN) – As the percentage of the population vaccinated increases, you may be wondering if now is finally the time to enjoy a meal that is not homemade or to eat.
Above, people eat indoors as indoor dining continues to open in New York City on March 24th. Physical distance, barriers and good ventilation are some ways to reduce the risk of Covid-19.
STRF / STAR MAX / IPx / AP
“You still have to be very careful about 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 are in a crowd and you do not know the status of many of these individuals.”
Due to the appearance of restaurants, maintaining social distance can be difficult. And because restaurants can be noisy, people could speak louder and louder, which could increase the chance of the coronavirus spreading through respiratory drops. Depending on the ventilation flow of a restaurant, respiratory drops and potential coronavirus-laden air may accumulate or spread beyond 6 feet.
Given these risks, the CDC’s guidelines for indoor restaurants are the same for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
If you are completely vaccinated and infected, you are unlikely to get symptoms of Covid-19, Stewart said. But you “can expose someone else to illness that could lead to serious illness.”
If you plan to eat, first check that the restaurant complies with CDC-recommended prevention measures. You can look at the restaurant’s website or call the company and ask. Risk-reducing restaurants include units with spaced outdoor seating; have both staff and guests wear masks when not eating or drinking; and have their menu available online.
Eating and drinking outside a unit is safer, the CDC says, because potentially coronavirus-laden air or respiratory droplets would not circulate indoors.
Limit alcohol consumption so that you can use proper judgment. Ask for individually packaged spices – including salt, pepper and ketchup – if possible and don’t share the food. Because the risk of infection increases the longer you stay in an area, limit the time you are at the restaurant, the CDC suggested.
“If you are very close to other people and there are a lot of packed jobs, then I would try to limit time as much as possible,” said CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen, emergency physician and guest professor of policy and management. of Health at George Washington University School of Public Health, Milken Institute.
Other things you can do to minimize time spent in the restaurant include ordering in advance and not ordering appetizers or more dishes.
However, if you are completely vaccinated and “you can be separated from others by at least 6 feet and eat with someone who is also completely vaccinated,” Wen said, “I would not have a limitation on that period.” Anyone you eat should also be completely vaccinated.
Everyone should cover coughing and sneezing and practice frequent hand washing.
Image above: Above, people enjoy lunch at the Grand Central Market, while the indoor restaurant reopens in Los Angeles on March 15th.