It may seem that a blog about Covid is a little off my usual focus of communicating well and living better, but it actually isn’t.
We want you to remain connected and social throughout this pandemic but do it safely. So you CAN still go out with friends and stay Covid free.
SA restaurants are doing everything they can to keep you safe. Diner numbers are restricted, hygiene is of the highest standard, staff wear face masks and clean themselves (and everything else).
But if that isn’t enough for you, ask to sit outside as there is limited evidence of Covid spread outdoors.
Disclaimer: I’m not a virologist. I’m an Audiologist with 20 years of experience as a paramedic (and was known as a germaphobe to my colleagues). But here is some evidence from peer-review articles to prove my point:
1. A systematic review (highest level of scientific critique) of 73 papers concluded that the risk of transmission in an outdoor setting was low.
Very few studies found Covid particles in the air samples taken outdoors. When found, the concentrations were low. When they tried to culture Covid from those samples, the airborne virions were not viable.
This suggested that airborne transmission in an outdoor setting is minimal if social distancing is maintained and people avoid crowded areas.
Note: Higher concentrations of airborne Covid were found in the air directly outside the doors of hospitals and healthcare settings, so don’t ask for a table there (1).
The risk of catching Covid while outside may increase in certain conditions:
a) As stated above, being directly outside a hospital / health care centre.
These are places where the viral load in the building may be higher, so it may disperse into the outside air at a higher concentration. Studies found at 1.5m – 10 metres away from the hospital entrance the virus in the air was either negative or low, but once that distance increased to 20m, there were no positive air samples.
b) Areas of high pollution, cold weather and low wind created a perfect storm.
Low concentrations of Covid were found in this environment outdoors.
It has been observed that pollution can stick the Covid particles together, increasing the infective power of the virus. (Note: this is a correlation, not a cause, but either way, keep your air and lungs clean) (2).
So, follow this link to find a restaurant where you can connect with your friends, remain social, and eliminate the anxiety about catching Covid indoors. This will show you how to find a restaurant with an outdoor seating area so you can continue to stay social and support the restaurant industry throughout this pandemic.
Bon appetite
REFERENCES – Note: all from 2020-2021 and based on strains prior to Omicron. The studies I found that spoke about them both didn’t mention outdoor transmission…….
- Dinoi, A., Feltracco, M., Chirizzi, D., Trabucco, S., Conte, M., Gregoris, E., Barbaro, E., La Bella, G., Ciccarese, G., Belosi, F., La Salandra, G., Gambaro, A. and Contini, D., 2021. A review on measurements of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in air in outdoor and indoor environments: Implication for airborne transmission. Science of The Total Environment, 809, p.151137.
- Rowe, B., Canosa, A., Drouffe, J. and Mitchell, J., 2021. Simple quantitative assessment of the outdoor versus indoor airborne transmission of viruses and COVID-19. Environmental Research, 198, p.111189.