USA: Physicians create activity risk chart for COVID-19

The table classifies COVID-19 risk levels for different activities. The ranking is based on the assumption that, regardless of the activity, participants would adopt all possible protective equipment (first and foremost, masks).

What's riskier, going to a bar or opening the mail?

The table classifies COVID-19 risk levels for different activities. The ranking is based on the assumption that, regardless of the activity, participants would adopt all possible protective equipment (first and foremost, masks).

Made in cooperation with our partners from esanum.it

The Texas Medical Association's COVID-19 Task Force and the Committee on Infectious Diseases have created a table that classifies COVID-19 risk levels for different activities. The ranking is based on contributions from physicians who are members of the task force and the committee, who worked under the assumption that - regardless of the activity - participants would adopt all possible protective equipment; with masks being essential.

Imagine playing a quiz to find out which activities put people most at risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 and falling ill with COVID-19. Find the answers at the end of the article. Ready? Here we go. What's riskier?

Spending an hour in a playground or shopping?
Going to the beach or camping?
Working a week in a business center or spending two nights in a hotel?
Going to a hairdresser/barbershop or visiting a library/museum?
Go to a bar or sit in a physician’s waiting room?

Most likely the game is an easy bet for physicians. By this point in the pandemic you probably already have a good idea of which activities carry a higher risk of COVID-19. Your patients probably have a good idea of what is risky too. Or do they?

COVID-19-Risk-Assessment-Cha..

"Know your risk during COVID-19" Risk Chart, Texas Medical Association, July 2020

Feel free to share the chart on your sites and social media or print it out and hang it up in your practice. You can download a version here.

And don't forget to remind your patients that no matter what they do, it's better if they avoid unnecessary social activities, if they wear the mask, keep a distance of at least one and a half meters from other people and wash their hands frequently.

And regarding the proposed quiz above? The first activity listed in each question is much riskier than the ones stated second.

Source:
Doolittle D. What’s More Risky, Going to a Bar or Opening the Mail? Texas Medical Association. July 02, 2020