BOO-HOO BUT TRUE. TRICK-OR-TREATING ISN’T SAFE TO DO.

“Can I be a fireman again?”

“Will I get more Snickers or Twix?”

These are frequent questions from my 4-yearold as Halloween approaches. I am a parent and an infectious disease physician, so I try to balance pleasing my kids with sound medical judgment. After more than six months of being cooped in their homes, glaring at classmates in tiny Zoom boxes, and limited outings, yes, even children can experience COVID-19 fatigue.

Trick-or-treating may be that antidote to boredom — dressing up and running around the neighborhood with other kids scoring prized sweets. And just — for one magical night — marching along together against the misery of the last few months.

But is trick-or-treating safe this year? As a parent and clinician, I say no.

Like a witch’s cauldron, Halloween is the perfect recipe for spreading the coronavirus that causes the potentially fatal COVID-19: visiting multiple households; being in close contact with strangers; and many hands dipping into a common candy pot.

Some may say trick-or-treating is mostly an outdoor activity, so the likelihood of catching the virus is lower. Risk is definitely lower outdoors, but that doesn’t mean being outdoors is completely safe.

When we breathe, sing, shout or sneeze we spew droplets of varying sizes. Trick-or-treating can be a boisterous time with loud talking and shouting, which can increase viral spread. Even a slight breeze can carry infectious droplets as far as 18 feet in five seconds, according to the journal Physics of Fluids. The point remains that even outdoors, with a mask and several feet of separation, you wouldn’t want to be downwind from a group of spirited trick-or-treaters.

Also, the coronavirus is a vampire — it hates sunlight. A study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, reports that simulated summer sunlight kills around 90 percent of the virus in about 6.8 minutes. Touch-based transmission may be significantly reduced in outdoor environments exposed to direct sunlight relative to indoor environments. Trick-or-treating, however, is typically

an autumn evening activity, lacking the sunlight needed to kill the virus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes trickor-treating as a higherrisk activity. Try moderateand lower-risk activities this year, like a driveby parade or parading decorated wagons or bicycles around the neighborhood. This way, more vulnerable and high-risk populations can still enjoy seeing the festivities from a safe distance. Enjoying the neighborhood pumpkin patch, but not touching every pumpkin and sanitizing frequently, or going apple-picking, but avoiding the hayrides, are little changes we’d have to make but can still amount to a fun time.

Hosting virtual pumpkin-carving parties or mask-decorating contests with loved ones, particularly elderly grandparents who have been self-isolating, can also be a welcome fright. Some events, like indoor costume parties, which college students and young adults look forward to, and haunted houses should be avoided. Infectious droplets from a cough can travel up to 16 feet indoors and sneeze droplets up to 26 feet. Some of these droplets become aerosols, and the virus can remain viable for up to three hours, according to a study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine.

For those who prefer tradition, with a bit of creativity and abundance of caution, I do think there are ways to safely trick-or-treat. Adults accompanying children can enforce (or at least try) social distancing. Kids from the same social pod can trickor-treat together. And please wear a mask. The CDC advises that a costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask. A protective mask should be made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face. Instead of a costume mask, consider a Halloween-themed cloth mask.

Space candy apart on the porch with strict instructions: Take one! True, kids may pick up one and decide that peanut butter cups aren’t their favorite, and fish around for other goodies. However, the CDC finds that contact with contaminated surfaces is not a common transmission route for the virus. Regardless, it’s practical, good hygiene to use hand sanitizer (or wash hands) and avoid touching your face.

Halloween is different this year, but it isn’t terrible. Humans, especially children, are very adaptable. As for me and my family, this Halloween is an opportunity to start new traditions, like having a candy scavenger hunt at home and decorating a Halloween-themed tree (why wait for Christmas?). Whether we choose to stick with traditions or create new ones, the important thing is to keep safety for ourselves and others in mind.