Is it safe to get a haircut? Here are the risks of 5 everyday activities during COVID-19
Although Arizona is seeing improvements in the number of hospitalizations and percentage of tests coming back positive, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over. People still need to be careful about catching and spreading the new coronavirus to ensure these numbers stay low.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the main way this respiratory virus spreads is from person-to-person contact, so being indoors in an enclosed space puts you at an increased risk of contracting or passing on the virus.
As months go on, though, it comes time for a dentist appointment or haircut. Many people are wondering: Is it safe to do such things now or should these appointments be postponed? We asked two experts their thoughts to help you assess ways to mitigate the risks of these close-contact activities.
‘Anything that's indoors is going to be higher risk’
In general, deciding whether to take part in an activity is “not one size fits all,” said Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix. He said anyone who could be considered a vulnerable individual, such as someone who has a chronic disease or compromised immune system, should consider how essential it is to take part in a potentially risky activity.
“The reality is that anything that's indoors is going to be higher risk, no matter who you are. And asymptomatic spread is real. It accounts for more than 50% of cases,” he said.
Is it safe to get a haircut?
A haircut may seem like a luxury, but Marvasti said grooming activities can be important for mental health.
“But,” he said, “I think you have to really be mindful of a couple things.” One is you need to be sure your salon is following public health guidelines and not “packing a bunch of people in there without masks.”
One commonly cited CDC report on a hair salon lends support to the idea that if you do get a haircut, wearing a face covering is a good idea: 139 clients were exposed to two symptomatic hairdressers who were confirmed to have COVID-19. Afterward, none of the 67 clients tested had COVID-19 and no symptomatic cases were reported.
Experts hypothesize that because everyone involved wore a face covering, transmission was curbed.
Is it safe to go out to eat?
Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, researches where pathogens are commonly found, and one of those places is restaurants.
His studies have shown that objects such as menus and touch pads are “pretty germy." He said some restaurants are now using disposable paper menus, but you might bring hand sanitizer just in case you touch something that many other people have touched.
Besides being careful to avoid high-touch surfaces and not touching your face, Gerba said he would try to eat outdoors “as much as possible.”
INDOOR DINING:Is it safer to dine on a restaurant patio instead of inside?
Is it safe to go to the dentist?
If it has been more than a year since your last cleaning or you have a dental emergency, Marvasti said, go see your dentist. He also said to not be shy about calling and asking about their COVID-19 safety protocols before heading to the office.
He said questions such as “How many people are going to be in the office at any given point in time?” and “What are the precautions that you're taking to protect yourself and protect others?” are good to ask.
The CDC recommends that dental offices monitor infection trends in their area and personal protective equipment availability to determine whether non-urgent and elective procedures should be postponed.
Is it safe to go to the gym?
Despite the fact that Arizona gyms have been allowed to reopened at limited capacity, “I don't think it's time yet to go into the gym,” Marvasti said.
He said that while he agrees that it is important to be active and socialize, as the Phoenix weather cools down people may encounter less risk of infection by getting outdoors instead of inside a gym where they have close contact with others.
“To me, I wouldn't feel safe going in those settings just yet. I'd like to see the percent positivity rate down below 3%.” Currently, Arizona's positivity number is around 4%.
GYMS REOPENING:What will the gym be like when you go back?
Is it safe to use a public restroom?
More people taking road trips means more bathroom stops. A study from Wuhan, China, found that coronavirus can travel through the air on droplets caused by a toilet flush, but how infectious this spray is remains unknown.
Should people be worried about straying away from their own bathrooms during the pandemic? Gerba said that he has done studies on public restrooms and they are quite germy, especially in places like commuter trains. Wearing a face covering and washing your hands should mitigate most of the risk.
"You're always really gambling with germs, so the idea is to keep the odds in your favor and not the germs' favor.”
Reach the reporter at Shaena.Montanari@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @DrShaena.
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