Location a key factor in safety precautions
Nail salons, barber shops, pools, gyms, beaches, casinos, restaurants and more are slowly reopening, and many people are wondering how to stay safe as they start to venture outside their homes.
You’ve asked us dozens of questions about how to prevent catching and spreading the coronavirus, and we’re speaking with experts to answer them.
It’s important to note that the answers vary on a case-by-case basis, experts say.
“For the elderly, until there’s
widespread testing, my
recommendation is to maintain
all the precautions that you can.” Greg Poland Director, Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group
Will it continue to be unsafe for the elderly and immune-compromised to go out until a vaccine is available?
– Linda from St. Cloud, Minnesota
That is highly dependent on whether the virus is spreading in your community, said Greg Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group. “It is a different answer in St. Cloud than it is in Houston. If you’re in a major city, odds are there is community transmission, and it just takes coming into contact with an asymptomatic person (to get sick),” Poland said.
The majority of infections are asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic, Poland said. A study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that among a sample of adults in Los Angeles County, about 4% tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, suggesting a much higher prevalence of disease in the area than reported.
“For the elderly, until there’s widespread testing, my recommendation is to maintain all the precautions that you can until this point. You can wear a mask. You know about hand hygiene,” he said.
“And I advise that people do get out, but under the right circumstances. It doesn’t have to mean a bar, a restaurant or a movie theater. It can mean walking around your neighborhood if you maintain 30 or more feet from other people, because that’s what the models are showing.”
While a vaccine would be a game-changer, a proven antiviral treatment also would change the equation, said Dr. Lisa Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins.
“Those are things that make us feel differently about this virus vs. influenza or other viruses for which we have treatment. The research is so important. The vaccine is so important,” she said.
I notice in the grocery store that people all have masks on but not gloves. Are gloves necessary?
– Elizabeth from West Palm Beach, Florida
The CDC recommends wearing gloves when you are cleaning or caring for someone who is sick. In most other situations, such as running errands, wearing gloves is not necessary, the CDC says.
That’s because a glove does not protect you any better than your own hand protects you, Poland said.
“The virus doesn’t get through the skin. It can only infect you when you take that hand and touch your nose or mouth. As long as you sanitize your hands, you’re fine,” Poland said.
However, if your hands are so dirty that hand sanitizer would be ineffective and you do not have access to a sink, it would be safest to wear gloves, strip them off properly and then sanitize, Poland said. Gloves could also subconsciously help you remember to avoid touching your face.
“Even in health care, we only wear gloves when we know that we’re going to be touching something that is a blood or body fluid, or someone’s wound. It’s an extra layer of protection usually used because health care workers are going from patient to patient, so we’re trying to prevent a large amount of contamination from getting on your hands,” Maragakis said.
Is wearing a mask a recommendation or a law?
– Allan from Delmar, New York
Nearly all 50 states either recommend or require people to wear face masks in certain public settings. Check out the state and local guidelines in your area.