Why it’s safer outside and the bald facts

Q WHY are you less likely to catch the virus outdoors? A

COVID-

19 is transmitted in tiny droplets, spread through coughs, sneezes and loud talking.

It can also spread if droplets end up on surfaces and people touch them.

Outside, the air is better ventilated than when indoors. This means droplets are more likely to fall to the ground and be dispersed. Gusts of wind and a gentle breeze can help with this.

It is also easier to stay two metres apart from others while outdoors, and you’re less likely to touch surfaces that may carry traces of the virus.

Q DOES being bald really increase the risk of severe Covid? A

LAST

week, researchers suggested that bald men may be at a higher risk of suffering from severe Covid-19 symptoms, which was based on two small studies. In one, three-quarters of 41 men admitted to hospital with Covid19 were noted to be bald. The other found a similar association.

But if you’ve lost your hair, don’t panic. We already know that men and older people are more at risk from Covid-19, and given that it is very common for men to lose their hair as they age, it follows that a number of bald men could be severely affected by the disease.

And only a small number of patients were studied, so the findings may not be true of other hospital patients.

Dr Jason Oke, senior statistician at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, says: ‘It is too early to conclude that hair-loss is an important risk factor for increased severity of Covid-19 infection. Men and women with hair loss should not be overly concerned.’

Q AM I now permitted to visit my parents on the other side of the country for the weekend? A

THE

short answer is no. The easing of social distancing rules means those who need to leave home to work should do so, but those who are able to work from home should continue to do that.

The Government is still advising us all to limit contact with others – this means not visiting friends or family inside their homes, and not staying overnight away from your own home, except for in a limited set of circumstances, such as for work purposes. We can spend time outdoors with people we don’t live with, in groups of up to six, still adhering to social distancing rules – staying two metres apart.

It’s actually against the law to incite others to break these rules, by inviting them to a party, for instance.

You could visit your parents on a day trip and sit in the garden (it’s OK to go through the house to access the garden, and go inside to use the loo, but that’s it) or a park nearby, though, while sticking to social distancing.