COVID-19 Risk Assessment with Changing Weather
It’s official, the fall season is upon us! The change in season brings shorter days, cooler temperatures, and more indoor activities. Although we’ve previously covered COVID-19 risk assessment, as we move indoors, different risk factors should be considered.
Scientists and medical professionals continue to learn more and more about the transmission and spread of COVID-19, but since the start of the pandemic two data points have become crystal clear:
- A vast majority of COVID-19 transmission happens indoors, not outdoors
- Mask use is extremely effective at reducing COVID-19 transmission
Let’s breakdown these two main data points for COVID-19 risk assessment as we head into the cooler months. Scott Margolin, Tyndale’s VP of Technical can help walk us through these risk factors.
COVID-19 Loves the Indoors
Indoor spaces aid COVID-19 transmission due to the airborne nature of the COVID-19 virus. Although in-home transmission between family members is significant, the single largest risk factor for community spread (outside the home) is spending time indoors at restaurants and bars. People who visit these places are twice as likely to catch the virus.
This is due to a combination of factors. In restaurants and bars people are talking, eating, and drinking, typically while not wearing a mask. Add poor ventilation to the mix – allowing COVID-19 to hang in the air – and the risk rises. The longer your stay, the greater chance you have of becoming infected with the virus.
It’s Been Proven, Masks Work
Politics aside, the science has been proven time and time again, wearing masks dramatically reduces transmission of COVID-19. Masks protect other people from the wearer, as well as the wearer from other people. At Tyndale our mission is to protect America’s workers and continually provide the facts about staying safe.
As winter comes and we prepare to spend more time indoors, please consider the relative risk of where you are, what you’re doing, and how long you’re participating. Please take the proper precautions, understand how this virus is spread, and plan ahead when you are indoors this fall and winter.
