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Now that the weather has turned colder, most restaurants have moved from outdoor to indoor dining.
Although it’s up to you to evaluate the risk yourself, there is good reason to be cautious about indoor dining, as it is definitely riskier than eating outside.
Keep reading for more details.
Indoor dining, regardless of the precautions in place, is a high-risk activity that experts encourage avoiding, especially with Covid case numbers climbing.
Harvard Medical School physician Abraar Karan tells NPR that outdoor dining is definitely a less risky idea. The article explains, "When you're outside, the risk of contracting the virus is lower. That's because coronavirus droplets disperse more quickly into the air. A bonus is that there may be more space between tables than in a small indoor setting."
Dr. Russell G. Buhr, a pulmonary and critical care physician at UCLA Health, explains to Eater: "Being in an enclosed space where air is recirculated means that if there are viruses suspended in those aerosols in a room, the longer you spend time unmasked in an enclosed space, the higher the risk of contracting the virus."
He continues, "It’s tough because the type of non-medical face coverings that we use don’t protect well against aerosols; the particles in aerosols are smaller than the pores between the fabric. The way that people get infected is a combination of how long they are in close proximity to an infectious source, coupled with how much virus they are exposed to."
If you are opting for indoor dining, there are a few tips to keep in mind. First, make sure the restaurant is following safety guidelines (which you can usually find by searching their website or by calling ahead of time). Important precautions include masks, spaced out tables, and proper ventilation. You may also inquire about their cleaning measures and if they screen their staff with temperature checks.
You should make your decision depending on how closely they abide by these guidelines.
It's also a good idea to bring your own hand sanitizer when going to a restaurant--whether you're dining indoors or outdoors.
Another important element to keep in mind? Air flow. During an Instagram Live, Dr. Fauci explained that the main thing to look out for in indoor dining rooms is airflow: "I think anything that has airflow out, not airflow in the room."
So make sure that the restaurant in question has plenty of doors and windows open.
