Daily decisions about risk: What to do when there ’s no right answer

Let’s face it: there’s still a deadly virus out there and it’s not going away anytime soon. And that means we all must make a lot of decisions that involve personal risk. And for many of these daily decisions, there’s no single right answer: no Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, World Health Organization recommendations, or expert advice exist. And as more places lift restrictions keeping people at home, more questions arise: Is it safe to go to the grocery store? And, how often is okay? How safe is it to fly on a commercial airline? Get a haircut? Go out to dinner? Should I avoid a friend whose daughter works someplace where someone tested positive? A new CDC guideline on venturing out shares ways to lessen risk for certain activities: frequent handwashing, wearing a mask, keeping your distance, and other familiar protective measures feature prominently. While helpful, the guideline won’t tell you whether it’s okay to visit your cousin, drive cross-country, or get a massage. Based on duration of exposure, setting, and “dose” (the amount of virus to which you’re exposed), we do know that some activities are riskier than others. Spending 15 minutes or more in a small room with someone who is coughing while neither of you wears a mask is considered high-risk. Going for a walk outdoors, well away from others, is low-risk. But each of us must make our own decisions about all of the things in the middle — including activities now allowed in many pl...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Coronavirus and COVID-19 Infectious diseases Prevention Source Type: blogs