Summer is here! We’re ready to get out of the house. But what's safe? Here's a great @NPR article from @AubreyNPR @laurelwamsley @cwroth on how experts think about the risks.

And you can evaluate your own risk by considering these 5 things. (1/x) https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/23/861325631/from-camping-to-dining-out-heres-how-experts-rate-the-risks-of-14-summer-activit

PEOPLE. Who are you spending time with and how many of them are there?

Meeting with one other person who has stayed home for the past two months is lower risk. Meeting with ten people who have high-risk jobs is higher risk.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE): Face masks aren’t magic and don’t eliminate the possibility of spreading COVID-19. But if you have to be in close quarters, wearing a cloth face covering may reduce your risk.

TIME: The chances of getting COVID-19 from someone else is partly proportional to the amount of time you spend with them. So passing by someone on the street is very low risk. Sharing a two hour meal with someone is higher risk.

SPACE: You already know about this one. Since COVID-19 primarily spreads from person-to-person, maintaining spatial distance from other people lowers your risk.

PLACE: Where you’re at affects your risk too.

Socializing with others in open spaces outdoors is lower risk. Spending time with others in smaller, indoor space with limited ventilation is higher risk.

It can be stressful to think constantly about what's safe. But taken together, considering there 5 things:

people,
PPE,
time,
space,
place

Can give you a good framework to make easier decisions about how to lower your risk.