As vaccine launches accelerate and infection rates drop in California, the state is starting to reopen, with indoor meals now available in all nine San Francisco Bay Area counties and everything from movie theaters to gyms. that get people back to the indoor environments.
People who received the vaccine can enter newly opened businesses with the guarantee that their chances of contracting the virus are very low, especially if they follow public health guidelines and wear masks. (It is not yet known how quickly they transmit the virus to unvaccinated people, although there is growing evidence that it is probably too little).
But what about those people who haven’t been vaccinated? Can they safely participate in internal activities?
Although the vaccine effort has picked up speed, the majority of the population has not yet received a single injection.
Radio KCBS reported on Tuesday that about 31% of the San Francisco population aged 16 or older is vaccinated. In California, 21% of residents received at least one dose, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Wesley Thomas trains at Fitness SF Transbay during the coronavirus outbreak in San Francisco, Tuesday, September 15, 2020.
Jeff Chiu / Associated PressTo get some advice on how unvaccinated people can navigate the rapidly opening environment, we talked to some experts.
Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF, said that indoor activities – such as dining at a restaurant, watching a movie at the cinema and working out at a gym – are safe for individuals who have not yet been vaccinated if the facility is following appropriate safety precautions, such as masking, spacing (whether spacing tables or exercise equipment) and use of ventilation. Gandhi pointed to a study by his co-author that looked at a company that applies these precautions and found that employees were safe during spikes.
Dr. Bob Wachter, chairman of the UCSF medical department, agreed that most indoor activities are safe for unvaccinated people, when precautions are taken.
“As long as the case rates remain very low (as they are now in the Bay Area), I would have no problem going to a gym or theater – assuming universal masking and relatively low density,” said Wachter. “In a theater, I would like to have open seats between me and strangers; at the gym, I would like to be at least 6 feet away from anyone else. Masking is critical. If I saw someone without the mask (or not) covering his nose), I would leave. “
He advised, however, against unvaccinated people who dine indoors – “mainly because masking is impossible,” said Wachter, referring to the fact that customers must remove the face covering to eat.
Dr Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF, pointed out that restaurants offer different environments and unvaccinated people who wish to dine indoors should look for those with ventilation.
“A practical tip is that I would try to request a table near an open window, as it is almost like being outdoors,” advised Chin-Hong. “Like Monsieur Benjamin in Hayes Valley, they have windows the size of a huge door, so you feel like you are indoors with fine china, but you are practically outdoors because there is a huge window.”
He added: “Not all restaurants are created equal. It is difficult to say that all meals indoors are safe or unsafe.”
Another indoor activity that people who have not been vaccinated can consider is flying, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to discourage leisure travel.
For people not vaccinated on airplanes, Chin-Hong recommended a double mask, “tied to the back so that it stays tight and tucked under the chin”.
He said air filtration on airplanes is generally good and advised travelers to take extra precautions when using public transport, be it a train or taxi, to and from the airport.
“Open the window,” he said, noting that you must open the windows on both sides of the car to let the air through. “You want a draft to pass through the air.”
Gandhi also said that flying is safe for travelers who have not been shot when precautions are taken.
“Yes, it is safe for you to be on the plane only if the airline is adhering to the universal masking conditions required by airlines,” she wrote by email. “The airplanes are very ventilated and the airline you choose must distance passengers in order to distance themselves. I would choose to wear a double mask on the plane and only remove the mask when eating or drinking something quickly.”
If you can’t decide whether an activity is safe, Chin-Hong said that a good rule of thumb is to assess your risk by asking three questions: 1) How prevalent is the virus in your community? 2) What is your risk of getting bad COVID? 3) And how risky is the activity?
“Say you are a 75-year-old man who was out of the country and has not yet been vaccinated, you would probably feel very insecure in a closed environment, or maybe if you were younger and had heart disease, going to that high-risk environment it may not be worth it, “said Chin-Hong.
Wachter added a final note of caution to unvaccinated people considering indoor activities: “I would keep in mind that everyone is about two months (or less) away from vaccination, so it seems like a very inopportune time to get infected while doing things that are completely elective. “
San Francisco has just reopened the indoor restaurant.
Patricia Chang / Special for SFGATE