How to reduce health risks of summer activities

Published : 31 May 2020, 17:23

CNN Desk

This summer, as the US begins to reemerge from months-long quarantines, there’s no activity that doesn’t come without risk, public health and infectious disease professionals warn.

However, there are some that may have reduced risk of Covid-19 infection or ways to safeguard yourself and others from the disease, they say.

“You can’t eliminate risk, but you can decrease it,” said Dr Preeti Malani, chief health officer and professor of medicine and infectious disease at the University of Michigan.

CNBC spoke to a group of infectious disease and public health experts across the country to gauge how much risk is associated with some common summer activities and discover ways to make these activities safer.

In any instance, experts stress the need to follow key physical distancing guidelines, like staying at least 6 feet away from others and limiting how long you interact with people. Wearing a face covering and opting for spaces that have enough airflow are also good ideas. Outdoor activities generally pose a lower risk than indoor.

“It’s a matter of a spectrum from low risk to high risk,” Ryan Demmer, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota said. “And there are several factors that contribute to where you might find yourself on that spectrum.”

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