Introduction
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, it is important to be aware of the places where you are most likely to catch the virus. While it is impossible to completely avoid the risk of infection, there are certain places that are more likely to be hotspots for the virus. In this article, we will discuss the places you’re most likely to catch COVID now and provide tips on how to stay safe while visiting these places. We will also provide some helpful advice on what to eat and what to avoid in order to reduce your risk of infection.
Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID Now — Eat This Not That
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, it’s important to be aware of the places where you’re most likely to catch the virus. Here are some of the places you should avoid if you want to stay safe:
Indoor Gatherings
Indoor gatherings, such as parties, weddings, and other social events, are some of the most common places to catch COVID-19. This is because people are in close contact with each other, making it easier for the virus to spread. To stay safe, avoid attending large indoor gatherings and opt for outdoor activities instead.
Restaurants and Bars
Restaurants and bars are also high-risk places for catching COVID-19. This is because people are in close contact with each other, and the air circulation is often poor. To stay safe, opt for takeout or delivery instead of dining in. If you do decide to dine in, make sure to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Public Transportation
Public transportation, such as buses, trains, and subways, are also high-risk places for catching COVID-19. This is because people are in close contact with each other, and the air circulation is often poor. To stay safe, opt for private transportation, such as a car or bike, instead. If you do decide to take public transportation, make sure to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Grocery Stores
Grocery stores are also high-risk places for catching COVID-19. This is because people are in close contact with each other, and the air circulation is often poor. To stay safe, opt for online grocery delivery or curbside pickup instead of shopping in-store. If you do decide to shop in-store, make sure to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Gyms
Gyms are also high-risk places for catching COVID-19. This is because people are in close contact with each other, and the air circulation is often poor. To stay safe, opt for outdoor activities or virtual workouts instead of going to the gym. If you do decide to go to the gym, make sure to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Conclusion
COVID-19 is a serious virus, and it’s important to be aware of the places where you’re most likely to catch it. Avoid attending large indoor gatherings, dining in restaurants and bars, taking public transportation, shopping in grocery stores, and going to the gym. Instead, opt for outdoor activities, takeout or delivery, private transportation, online grocery delivery or curbside pickup, and virtual workouts. By following these tips, you can help keep yourself and others safe.
The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve to become more contagious—the rise of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants means that a virus that had become many times easier to catch since the beginning of the pandemic is now even more so. “It’s going to get easier and easier to get and harder to escape infection. But that doesn’t mean we put ourselves in a sort of mind-set that, ‘You know, to hell with it. I’m just going to do anything I want to do anyway,’” infectious-disease expert Dr. Peter Chin-Hong told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday. To protect yourself, you can take preventative measures in some of the common hot spots for COVID transmission; these are the places you’re most likely to catch the coronavirus now. Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
The COVID virus continues to evolve, but one thing that hasn’t changed: It spreads efficiently in areas that are poorly ventilated. To effectively improve air flow, the easiest thing you can do is open the windows, Linsey Marr, a professor of engineering at Virginia Tech, told NPR News this week. “Especially if you can open them on opposite sides of the room, so you get some cross-ventilation—air coming in one and going out the other.”
According to data from the CDC, the household transmission rate for COVID is about 53%. “The ability to transmit from one person to another in close quarters, that will still happen. Nothing has changed in terms of how we can catch this very infectious airborne virus when we are in close proximity to someone else,” Mark Cameron, infectious disease researcher at Case Western Reserve University, told HuffPost in May.
A recent study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology calculated the riskiest places for catching COVID. Coming out on top: a crowded, poorly ventilated area where people are exercising heavily—a.k.a. the gym. Marr advised her local gym to improve ventilation by keeping its doors open. “I estimated how much benefit we would get from opening the doors and it was a ton, so we kept them open all winter,” Marr says. There was no known COVID transmission at that location.
Indoor restaurants and bars continue to be a COVID risk. “Dining in right now as Omicron is sweeping across the state is risky because in order to dine you must take off your mask,” said Dr. Christine Petersen, an infectious-disease expert at the University of Iowa. To lower your risk, dine outdoors or opt for takeout.
Just like indoor restaurants and bars, large indoor gatherings continue to be a major risk for COVID transmission. They’re usually poorly ventilated and packed with people who are often maskless, expelling virus particles into the air. A reminder: Several recent prominent events, including the White House Correspondent’s Dinner and Gridiron Club Dinner, have been followed by outbreaks among attendees. The Environmental Science & Technology researchers called “gather[ing] together with lots of people in an enclosed space with poor air quality” a “surefire way to catch COVID-19.”
Follow the fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you live—get vaccinated ASAP; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, don’t travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don’t go indoors with people you’re not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.
Michael Martin