Patients positive for Covid-19 generally eat and drink outside the home two weeks earlier.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – Eating out, such as in restaurants, cafes, and similar places has reportedly increased the risk of contracting a bigger new type of corona virus (Covid-19) infection. Eating outside the home is more risky compared to other activities such as shopping at the mall or going to the salon.
Report from the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC said the increase in Covid-19 cases came as many states reopened businesses, specifically allowing restaurants to accept on-site diners. The CDC report included 314 people who had symptoms of Covid-19 and after undergoing tests, half of whom tested positive.
Researchers then asked all the participants about their social activities during the two weeks before the test. Reported NBC News, participants live in a number of US states such as California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah and Washington. Each region has a different policy for reopening regulations.
Both groups generally reported similar activities, such as going to church, fitness centers, and shops, with one exception going to a meal or drink at a bar or coffee shop. Those who test positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, are said to be twice as likely eat at the restaurant than those who test negative.
Meanwhile, those diagnosed without exposure to the new coronavirus were more likely to report having visited a bar or coffee shop in the previous two weeks. The increased risk of contracting Covid-19 makes a lot of sense, because it is very easy to wear a mask in a shop or at a place of worship, but it is impossible to do so while eating and drinking.
“If people eat out, they need to think about how to do it,” said Todd Rice, co-author of the report and professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Apart from being without a mask, individuals are often close to each other when eating at a restaurant, such as sitting across from each other. Rice admits that she has been eating out in the past six months, but is taking the necessary precautions.
“Even if I sit at the table and the food hasn’t arrived, I still wear a mask. I’m not going to sit at a table next to someone else and ask for a table in the outdoor area,” said Rice.
One limitation of the report is that the researchers did not ask participants whether they ate or drank indoors or outdoors. Infectious disease experts argue that outdoor areas are safer than indoors or indoors, which have less ventilation. CDC guidelines for eating out, namely such as drive-thru, delivery, pick-up and pick-up of roadside food carry the lowest risk for Covid-19 transmission.
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