Editor’s Note – There are few activities without risk during the Covid-19 pandemic, but there are ways to mitigate the risks. Of course, fully vaccinated people have a much lower risk of contracting and spreading coronavirus than people who have not been vaccinated. Dr. CNN medical analyst Leana Wen advises making your activity decisions with that in mind.
(CNN) – As the vaccinated percentage of the population increases, you may be wondering if it is finally time to enjoy a meal that is not homemade or takeout.
Above, people eat indoors, while the indoors food continues to open March 24 in New York City. Physical distance, barriers, and good ventilation are a few ways to reduce the Covid-19 risk.
STRF / STAR MAX / IPx / AP
“You still have to be very careful when you’re in these areas,” said Dr. Ada Stewart, a family physician at Cooperative Health in Columbia, South Carolina, and the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. “You’re in a crowd and you don’t know the status of many of these individuals.”
Due to the layout of restaurants, it can be difficult to maintain a social distance. And since restaurants can be noisy, people can talk louder and more vigorously, increasing the chances of spreading the coronavirus through respiratory droplets. Depending on a restaurant’s ventilation flow, respiratory droplets and air that may be laden with coronavirus can accumulate or spread to more than six feet.
Given these risks, the CDC’s guidelines on indoor restaurant dining are the same for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
If you’re fully vaccinated and you become infected, you probably won’t get sick from Covid-19 symptoms, Stewart said. But you “may be able to expose someone else to illness, who could eventually develop serious illness.”
If you plan to eat out, first check that the restaurant adheres to the CDC’s recommended prevention measures. You can check the restaurant’s website or call the company and ask. Restaurants that reduce the risks include establishments with remote outdoor seating; have both staff and guests wear masks when they are not eating or drinking; and have their menu available online.
Eating and drinking in the outdoor area of an establishment is safer, the CDC says, because air or respiratory droplets that may be laden with coronavirus would not flow around in an enclosed space.
Limit your alcohol consumption so that you can use good judgment. If possible, ask for individually packaged condiments – including salt, pepper, and ketchup – and don’t share food. Since your risk of infection increases the longer you stay in an area, limit the time you spend in the restaurant, the CDC suggested.
“If you get very close to other people and there are a lot of dinner parties together, I would try to limit the time as much as possible,” said CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Other things you can do to minimize the time you spend in the restaurant include ordering in advance and not ordering snacks or more than one course.
However, if you are fully vaccinated and “can be separated at least six feet from others and you are dining with someone who is also fully vaccinated,” said Wen, “I wouldn’t be limited to that period.” Whoever you’re dining with must also be fully vaccinated.
Anyone would cover coughs and sneezes, and practice washing your hands regularly.
Top image: Above, people enjoy lunch at Grand Central Market as the indoor dining reopens in Los Angeles on March 15.