Expert Lists Down the COVID-19 Risk of Everyday Activities Which is a Look at What Activities Could Resume Earlier

There are many questions people have in these times.

Like, when will I accidentally stop biting my cheek while eating?

How long can I survive if the only food I have is a crate of mayonnaise?

If I buy a bigger bed, I would have more bedroom but less bed room. Is it really worth it?

Oh, and there’s also the question of how will life look like as we try to transition back to “normal” life.

(By the way, using the logic that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert and that we chew on food for an average of 25 minutes a day, it will be 66 years old when we stop biting our own cheeks.)

Business Insider did an interview with Dr Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University and found out the risk levels of coronavirus transmission for various common activities.

So, you can expect those with low risk to resume sooner than high-risk ones.

High Risk

1. Gathering of family and friends

Meeting people you don’t live together with adds a potential risk, especially since gatherings like this are usually mask-free.

And if the humans are having a party, you can expect the microorganisms on your body to be having the same kind of fun. Remember that asymptomatic people can spread the virus as well.

If your friends or families happen to visit other friends or family, their bodies basically serve as an aeroplane for the microbes to spend a holiday at their new destination: you.

2. Bars

Do I even need to explain this? It’s the above, thrown in with strangers and alcohol that affects your decision making.

3. Religious Functions

Dense crowds, usually older people. This makes this a high-risk activity for infections. The bright side is, the risk could be lowered by social distancing, wearing masks, and refraining from rituals that involve touching, eating or drinking.

4. Movie Theatres and Sporting Events

A movie theatre has a lot of people. Duh. Crowding at entries and exits are especially high risk, and is probably complicated and too long to effectively implement. Sporting event? Self-explanatory.

5. Gym

Ok, this is actually medium to high risk. Gym go-ers should wear a mask as much as possible. Equipment needs to be sanitized before and after each use, and social distancing enforced. So would IPPT and RT be back for NSmen? Hopefully those people with crabs on their epaulettes are reading this.

Medium Risk

1. Restaurants (indoors)

Indoor dining is bad cause of the airflow. Other than wearing masks, you might also need to use disposable materials for things like menus to reduce the risk- both of which are impossible to do so in a hawker centre.

2. Hair and nail salons

If you’re still holding out on your hair cut, this is now a legit excuse. I mean, it’s not like you can have a haircut with nobody touching you.

Wear masks. Salon employees need to wash their hands frequently.

3. Dates or gatherings with friends

Same thing as large gathering with family and friends, except it’s a smaller group, so the virus has fewer hosts to, erm, host.

4. Beaches

This is low to medium risk. Social distancing can help, but it’s hard to enforce limit capacity for entry. I mean, where’s the entrance for East Coast Park ah?

Low Risk

1. Dining outdoors

Turns out, just changing to alfresco makes restaurant low risk, as long as tables are kept at least about 2m apart. Air also flows more freely.

Be cautious of menus and condiments, which many people will have touched.

Keep in mind, these are comparing restaurants. Our hawker centres might sound like it fits this category, but the context is a lot different because it’s half indoors half outdoors.

2. Outdoor activities

As long as you maintain a distance of 2m and don’t interact with people not from your household for more than 15 minutes, this should be low risk. That’s why we’re now allowed for a jog…alone.

3. Shopping

Again, as long as there are social distancing and masks involve. But fitting rooms should be closed. If people tried them on, anything that they didn’t buy should be quarantined for a couple of days. That sounds like a joke except that it isn’t.

The cashier poses the highest risk since that’s the place where most interactions happen.

4. Mail or groceries

The risk from touching mail or groceries is low. But if you’re really kiasi, you can keep nonperishable items in the grocery bag for a few days before using them.

You should be careful of things like doorknobs and elevator buttons.

So, what do you think would happen from 2 June 2020? Would all high-risk activities be banned and medium-risk activities be allowed (since low-risk ones are already allowed during Circuit Breaker)?

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