Travel activity risk management for Coronavirus
Jul 5, 2020, 4:31 pm
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Travel activity risk management for Coronavirus
A recent Washington Post article explores the perceived risks assigned to certain activities by six people on the front lines of the fight against Coronavirus / Covid-19.
How Fauci, 5 other health specialists deal with covid-19 risks in their everyday livesBy Marlene Cimons
July 3, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. PDT — in part:
Q: Are you willing to fly? What about bus, train, subway?
Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: I’m 79 years old. I am not getting on a plane. I have been on flights where I’ve been seated near people who were sneezing and coughing, and then three days later, I’ve got it. So, no chance. No Metro, no public transportation. I’m in a high risk group, and I don’t want to play around.
Elizabeth Connick, chief of the infectious diseases division and professor of medicine and immunobiology at the University of Arizona: I would only fly if I had to, for an emergency. I would not fly now for pleasure or work. I have a family reunion that happens every year, and I’m not going. But if I had to fly, I would wear an N95 mask.
Paul A. Volberding, professor of medicine and emeritus professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California at San Francisco: I haven’t flown, and I’m not eager to. I don’t like the idea of being in an enclosed space, especially when the airplanes are full. I’ve only ridden BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) once because we were in the East Bay to see our new granddaughter, and a Black Lives Matter protest took over the Bay Bridge. There was no way to get back except by BART. Normally, I wouldn’t have done it, but it wasn’t very crowded.
Linda Bell, South Carolina’s state epidemiologist: No. With the current disease activity in the country, I don’t know when I’ll fly again while airlines don’t require physical distancing and masks required for all. No [buses or trains], but public transport isn’t widely used in my community.
Barry Bloom, Jacobson research professor and former dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: No, none of them, not until the numbers of cases are down to much lower levels than they are at the moment.
David Satcher, former U.S. surgeon general, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and, most recently, founder of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine: I am willing, but I haven’t flown recently. If someone invites me to speak, and I can speak by Zoom, I do it. If someone said they really needed me somewhere, I would go, but I would wear a mask all the way. I have not been on the subway since this started, but Atlanta isn’t as big on subways as New York or other places. I just usually drive my car.
Q: Would you dine inside a restaurant? Outside? Do you get takeout?
Fauci: We don’t do anything inside. I don’t eat in restaurants. We do get takeout.
Connick: No, no restaurants. I avoid any closed space with a lot of people, particularly when it’s people whose risk I don’t know. I think the biggest risk is being in a closed space and breathing the same air that other people are breathing, and also not wearing masks. I wouldn’t go even if they were wearing masks. I might consider dining outside, although I would rather not. I think being outside is much safer. Takeout, yes. I would die if I didn’t do takeout.Volberding: I wouldn’t feel comfortable yet with indoor seating, but I’d feel comfortable outside, with distances between the tables. We haven’t gone yet. We’ve gotten takeout a couple of times. We are cooking a ton, and love it.
Bell: I would not dine in a restaurant, but I would dine outside if the restaurant had a safe set up. I do get takeout.
Bloom: I would not dine inside now. I would dine outside. I’m a big believer in outside, that it’s safer outside.
Satcher: I have not dined inside a restaurant in a long time, and I used to do it a lot. I have not dined outside, but I would if I could be six feet away from other people. I do sometimes get takeout.
From the Texas Medical Association
Texas Medical Association activities relative risk chart
(The Washington Post is providing this important information about the coronavirus for free. For more free coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Link to full article.
How Fauci, 5 other health specialists deal with covid-19 risks in their everyday livesBy Marlene Cimons
July 3, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. PDT — in part:
Q: Are you willing to fly? What about bus, train, subway?
Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: I’m 79 years old. I am not getting on a plane. I have been on flights where I’ve been seated near people who were sneezing and coughing, and then three days later, I’ve got it. So, no chance. No Metro, no public transportation. I’m in a high risk group, and I don’t want to play around.
Elizabeth Connick, chief of the infectious diseases division and professor of medicine and immunobiology at the University of Arizona: I would only fly if I had to, for an emergency. I would not fly now for pleasure or work. I have a family reunion that happens every year, and I’m not going. But if I had to fly, I would wear an N95 mask.
Paul A. Volberding, professor of medicine and emeritus professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California at San Francisco: I haven’t flown, and I’m not eager to. I don’t like the idea of being in an enclosed space, especially when the airplanes are full. I’ve only ridden BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) once because we were in the East Bay to see our new granddaughter, and a Black Lives Matter protest took over the Bay Bridge. There was no way to get back except by BART. Normally, I wouldn’t have done it, but it wasn’t very crowded.
Linda Bell, South Carolina’s state epidemiologist: No. With the current disease activity in the country, I don’t know when I’ll fly again while airlines don’t require physical distancing and masks required for all. No [buses or trains], but public transport isn’t widely used in my community.
Barry Bloom, Jacobson research professor and former dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: No, none of them, not until the numbers of cases are down to much lower levels than they are at the moment.
David Satcher, former U.S. surgeon general, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and, most recently, founder of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine: I am willing, but I haven’t flown recently. If someone invites me to speak, and I can speak by Zoom, I do it. If someone said they really needed me somewhere, I would go, but I would wear a mask all the way. I have not been on the subway since this started, but Atlanta isn’t as big on subways as New York or other places. I just usually drive my car.
Q: Would you dine inside a restaurant? Outside? Do you get takeout?
Fauci: We don’t do anything inside. I don’t eat in restaurants. We do get takeout.
Connick: No, no restaurants. I avoid any closed space with a lot of people, particularly when it’s people whose risk I don’t know. I think the biggest risk is being in a closed space and breathing the same air that other people are breathing, and also not wearing masks. I wouldn’t go even if they were wearing masks. I might consider dining outside, although I would rather not. I think being outside is much safer. Takeout, yes. I would die if I didn’t do takeout.Volberding: I wouldn’t feel comfortable yet with indoor seating, but I’d feel comfortable outside, with distances between the tables. We haven’t gone yet. We’ve gotten takeout a couple of times. We are cooking a ton, and love it.
Bell: I would not dine in a restaurant, but I would dine outside if the restaurant had a safe set up. I do get takeout.
Bloom: I would not dine inside now. I would dine outside. I’m a big believer in outside, that it’s safer outside.
Satcher: I have not dined inside a restaurant in a long time, and I used to do it a lot. I have not dined outside, but I would if I could be six feet away from other people. I do sometimes get takeout.
From the Texas Medical Association
Texas Medical Association activities relative risk chart
(The Washington Post is providing this important information about the coronavirus for free. For more free coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Link to full article.
Jul 5, 2020, 6:25 pm
#2
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I haven’t been on a plane for four months. Haven’t been outside my county or even eaten at a neighbor restaurant or gone to a bar or a beach since then, local takeouts twice though. I am perfectly happy to stay home and catch up on stuff.
Jul 5, 2020, 7:43 pm
#3
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I'm in my sixties, I travel for a living, and I got midway through the 7's before I saw something I haven't / wouldn't do. Funny I see attending a religious service listed but not mass protesting.
Last edited by NewbieRunner; Jul 6, 2020 at 1:21 pm Reason: Removed excessive amount of quote
Jul 6, 2020, 1:37 am
#4
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Think about what happens when standing inside a room in a crowd next to a bunch of smokers vs what happens when standing outdoors in a crowd next to the same number of smokers. There is a big difference in how the smoke concentrates, flows and hits. Would you be surprised to find out that second-hand smoke exposure indoors has a higher probability of increasing lung cancer risk for such second-hand smokers than second-hand smoke exposure outdoors does for such people? I wouldn’t be, and the same goes for exposure to this novel coronavirus.
Want to make your own risk assessment about the virus exposure risks? Think about what would happen if doing what you do where you do In relation to proximity to a bunch of smokers emitting smoke.
Jul 6, 2020, 3:21 am
#5
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Religious services or protesting indoors without masks is different on the risk profile than religious services or protesting outdoors with or without a mask, especially if not remaining for a long time close to an individual shedding a whole lot of virus.
Think about what happens when standing inside a room in a crowd next to a bunch of smokers vs what happens when standing outdoors in a crowd next to the same number of smokers. There is a big difference in how the smoke concentrates, flows and hits. Would you be surprised to find out that second-hand smoke exposure indoors has a higher probability of increasing lung cancer risk for such second-hand smokers than second-hand smoke exposure outdoors does for such people? I wouldn’t be, and the same goes for exposure to this novel coronavirus.
Want to make your own risk assessment about the virus exposure risks? Think about what would happen if doing what you do where you do In relation to proximity to a bunch of smokers emitting smoke.
Think about what happens when standing inside a room in a crowd next to a bunch of smokers vs what happens when standing outdoors in a crowd next to the same number of smokers. There is a big difference in how the smoke concentrates, flows and hits. Would you be surprised to find out that second-hand smoke exposure indoors has a higher probability of increasing lung cancer risk for such second-hand smokers than second-hand smoke exposure outdoors does for such people? I wouldn’t be, and the same goes for exposure to this novel coronavirus.
Want to make your own risk assessment about the virus exposure risks? Think about what would happen if doing what you do where you do In relation to proximity to a bunch of smokers emitting smoke.
Jul 6, 2020, 6:52 am
#6
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What about staying one night in a hotel? We always wear masks inside any building. So if we wore masks checking in, had picked up dinner at say, curbside at a resturant to eat in room. Wiped down surfaces that we were likely to touch with alcohol wipes, sleep, shower, and get back on the road. Would this be considered relatively safe??
We assume it's "much" safer than flying??
We have to do a long drive and plan to stop overnight.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Any chains IHG, Hilton, Marriott doing anything better than the others?
Thanks!
We assume it's "much" safer than flying??
We have to do a long drive and plan to stop overnight.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Any chains IHG, Hilton, Marriott doing anything better than the others?
Thanks!
Jul 6, 2020, 7:02 am
#7
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I find the answers regarding public transportation to be interesting. Millions of Americans rely on various forms of public transport today, and are using them currently. However these epidemiologists all recommend not using public transport... that is simply not realistic for many people
Personally I would do almost all of the activities described in an area where case counts are not spiking higher. For example, in NYC indoor dining was delayed, but I would probably be OK doing indoor dining in a socially distanced space right now in New York. Less so in Austin, Houston, Phoenix and Miami. Los Angeles and Las Vegas are borderline for me. I am doing outdoor dining here in NYC somewhat frequently over the past couple of weeks. I have been on the subway once since this started, but I am super comfortable with Uber (driver and passengers all masked, windows down).
Personally I would do almost all of the activities described in an area where case counts are not spiking higher. For example, in NYC indoor dining was delayed, but I would probably be OK doing indoor dining in a socially distanced space right now in New York. Less so in Austin, Houston, Phoenix and Miami. Los Angeles and Las Vegas are borderline for me. I am doing outdoor dining here in NYC somewhat frequently over the past couple of weeks. I have been on the subway once since this started, but I am super comfortable with Uber (driver and passengers all masked, windows down).
Jul 6, 2020, 7:08 am
#8
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Let me refine my post. I admit to having done 30 of the listed 37 risks and probability a dozen that aren’t listed. I believe that we need know what our limitations are and what is an acceptable risk and proceed from there and not blindly rely on others for our protection. If it doesn’t feel safe to you don’t do it, but don’t expect me to not do something because you won’t. I don’t skydive but I don’t expect others not to.
Look at that list. Almost everything on the list is banned in one state or another. By elected officials (and some with merely an appointed position) by emergency decrees that at least initially where in the public’s overall interest and safety. Now months later the emergency powers used by those elected officials are no longer valid but these same politicians continue to make emergency decrees.
Are you willing to fundamentally change how you live on the whim of some politicians?
Look at that list. Almost everything on the list is banned in one state or another. By elected officials (and some with merely an appointed position) by emergency decrees that at least initially where in the public’s overall interest and safety. Now months later the emergency powers used by those elected officials are no longer valid but these same politicians continue to make emergency decrees.
Are you willing to fundamentally change how you live on the whim of some politicians?
Jul 6, 2020, 7:28 am
#9
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Let me refine my post. I admit to having done 30 of the listed 37 risks and probability a dozen that aren’t listed. I believe that we need know what our limitations are and what is an acceptable risk and proceed from there and not blindly rely on others for our protection. If it doesn’t feel safe to you don’t do it, but don’t expect me to not do something because you won’t. I don’t skydive but I don’t expect others not to.
Look at that list. Almost everything on the list is banned in one state or another. By elected officials (and some with merely an appointed position) by emergency decrees that at least initially where in the public’s overall interest and safety. Now months later the emergency powers used by those elected officials are no longer valid but these same politicians continue to make emergency decrees.
Are you willing to fundamentally change how you live on the whim of some politicians?
Look at that list. Almost everything on the list is banned in one state or another. By elected officials (and some with merely an appointed position) by emergency decrees that at least initially where in the public’s overall interest and safety. Now months later the emergency powers used by those elected officials are no longer valid but these same politicians continue to make emergency decrees.
Are you willing to fundamentally change how you live on the whim of some politicians?
Jul 6, 2020, 7:37 am
#10
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Nice to see my activities on the very low risk side of things - the only recreation I've done since April is camping & golf. The only other exposures are grocery shopping (always at off-hours) and restaurant take-away.
Jul 6, 2020, 7:50 am
#11
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I’m curious how they came to the conclusion that playing golf was higher-risk than tennis.
Also mysteriously missing on that list is grocery shopping.
Also mysteriously missing on that list is grocery shopping.
Jul 6, 2020, 8:12 am
#12
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. I think lists like the one above are counterproductive. Common sense should prevail.
Jul 6, 2020, 8:44 am
#13
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As an example as to why it's difficult to believe the man when he says. "I'm from the government and I am here to help you."
https://www.foxnews.com/us/californi...us-restriction
https://www.foxnews.com/us/californi...us-restriction
Jul 6, 2020, 9:08 am
#14
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Going golfing with a smoker who is smoking during play may mean getting hit by smoke more than when playing tennis against a player who smokes during the match/match breaks.
On average it seems to me that golfers golfing competitively against golf partners congregate in greater numbers and closer than tennis players do so while playing tennis competitively against tennis partners.
Jul 6, 2020, 9:36 am
#15
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Grocery shopping is on the list.
Going golfing with a smoker who is smoking during play may mean getting hit by smoke more than when playing tennis against a player who smokes during the match/match breaks.
On average it seems to me that golfers golfing competitively against golf partners congregate in greater numbers and closer than tennis players do so while playing tennis competitively against tennis partners.
Going golfing with a smoker who is smoking during play may mean getting hit by smoke more than when playing tennis against a player who smokes during the match/match breaks.
On average it seems to me that golfers golfing competitively against golf partners congregate in greater numbers and closer than tennis players do so while playing tennis competitively against tennis partners.
I play golf alone usually, can't play tennis alone.
