Is it safe to eat outside at restaurants during COVID-19 pandemic? Experts weigh in

You may be itching to go out to eat now that restaurants across the country are reopening after temporarily closing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Many are only allowing guests to eat outside in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus, but is it safe?

Kind of, experts say.

When it comes to taking the leap back into public settings, doctors say that dining outside is a good place to start.

“Being outside, maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask — the servers wear a mask — I mean, I think that is a reasonable way to sort of re-enter public life at this stage in the game,” Dr. Shameem Abbasy told Block Club Chicago.

But those who are at high risk for serious illness due to COVID-19 might want to consider skipping patios and outdoor dining, she told the outlet.

The coronavirus is transmitted person-to-person by respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The increased air volume when you dine outside makes it difficult for the virus to spread.

“In indoor spaces, there is much more opportunity [for transmission] … having that closed space where the virus can easily transmit between people,” Jeffrey Farber, a professor of food microbiology in Canada, told CTV News.

“Outside, let’s say if someone coughs, you’d have very good air flow, so the possibility for transmission from one person to the next would be minimal,” he told the outlet.

The bottom line? Farber said dining outside is safe so long as it’s done properly, according to CTV News.

Thomas Russo, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo, agreed, writing for The Conversation that eating outside is safer than eating inside assuming it’s not a windy day and that establishments with outdoor seating are taking the same precautions as those indoor.

But the risk of exposure isn’t zero, especially if there is a strong breeze, Dr. Dean Hart, a microbiologist in New York, told Fox News.

“The virus is delicate, it’ll live better inside, but if someone is sick or asymptomatic there’s still a risk of being exposed to germs in the air or outside if, say, the wind blows even if someone is seated six feet apart,” he said, according to the outlet.

Dr. Andreas Handel, an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at University of Georgia, said there’s also a risk that workers could still show up to work when they’re feeling ill if they can’t afford to take sick days, Atlanta Magazine reported.

Still, he says, it’s all a matter of what you’re comfortable with.

“I think everyone has their own risk-benefit calculations they’re making in their head, asking if it’s worth it,” Handel told the magazine.

If you do decide to eat outside at a restaurant, experts say to make sure establishments are implementing proper cleaning and sanitizing measures, keeping tables at least 6 feet apart and requiring waiters to wear masks.

To help minimize the risk of transmission, consider wearing eye protection and using your mask between bites and sips, Russo said. You should also avoid using shared items such as menus or salt and pepper shakers, according to Fox News.

This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 11:07 AM with the headline "Is it safe to eat outside at restaurants during COVID-19 pandemic? Experts weigh in."