How Risky is Playing Tennis?

MLive have spoken to four public health experts in Michigan, asking them to look at the various virus risks associated with 36 common activities. The doctors looked at five factors when considering how risky an activity might be: whether it is inside or outside, proximity to others, exposure time, likelihood of others complying to social distancing guidelines, and personal risk level. Here are the list of items, ranking from 10 (most risky) to 1 (very little risk).

10: None!

9: Bars and large music concerts

1. People cannot wear a mask when drinking, and people pack in bars very tightly.

2. Large music concerts mean that people are very packed in and drinking alcohol (much like bars) but with the added risk of singing (singing is a very effective way of spreading the virus).

8: Sports stadiums, gyms, amusement parks, churches, and buffets

1. Sports stadiums also have alcohol and crowding, and people are also likely to cheer, yell, or sing, which makes the spread likelier.

2. With gyms, people breathe heavier, which has the same effect as singing. In addition, it can be difficult to work out while wearing a mask and distancing six feet.

3. To make amusement parks safe, they need to limit the amount of people allowed inside, enforce social distancing and mask use, and wipe down rides after each use.

4. Churches would be ranked as a 9 if singing is involved, but if not, then the risk can be reduced by everyone wearing a mask and sitting far apart.

5. Buffets are more hazardous than normal restaurants because everyone is sharing the same utensils to dish up.

7: Basketball, public pools, and schools

1. Basketball is a contact sport, and so therefore you are banging into each other, and often players will not want to wear masks as breathing becomes more uncomfortable.

2. There is unfortunately no way to make public pools safer because masks are not waterproof, and often people are very crowded together. In addition, while pool water does have chlorine in it, it is not high enough to be effective in reducing the risk to 0.

3. Schools have the challenge of trying to find enough classrooms and teachers to space students out effectively, as well as getting the children to follow these precautions in addition to wearing a mask and washing their hands well.

6: Casinos, restaurants with indoor seating, playgrounds, hair salons/barbershops, boat rides, and movie theaters

1. Casinos check the same concerning boxes as I listed above, but experts believe that casinos with an open floor plan and other precautions in place will be less risky.

2. Eating inside is riskier because the same air is recirculated inside a building and people aren't wearing masks. If you need to do it, they recommend asking for a table that is not in a high traffic area (such as bathrooms).

3. Playgrounds are extremely difficult places to social distance, and the smaller children that enjoy playgrounds the most will probably have a difficult time understanding the need for social distancing.

4. Hair places are risky due to close proximity. To make this risk less, masks should be required for all customers and staff and the waiting area should be closed. Also, do not use hairdryers (the virus could circulate inside).

5. Boat rides is risky because there is a better chance of drinking and loud talking, but at least it is an outside gathering.

6. Movie theaters are going to be tough. Experts say that outdoor movie theaters are better, but if that is not possible, they should reopen with spaced out seats and making people wear masks.

5: Airplanes, backyard barbecues, malls, beaches, and bowling

1. Experts disagreed about airplanes quite a bit because the air is very well filtered, but that the issue is that most people don't wear masks correctly and plane trips can bunch lots of people together for long periods of time.

2. A backyard barbecue is an outside activity, and if people can keep their distance and are masked, this becomes a low risk activity

3. Malls can either be very high risk or low risk depending on how many people follow social distancing guidelines.

4. Same thing for beaches as malls. Try to go at on off-peak time, such as sunrise to avoid risk.

5. Bowling alleys have problems with air circulation and all of the equipment needs to be cleaned thoroughly. In addition, people need to wear masks and every other lane needs to be left open.

4: Dentist's offices, walking in a busy downtown, offices, doctor's office waiting rooms, and eating outside at a restaurant

1. Experts disagreed on this; while doctors already wear masks and will likely wear other more protective equipment, dental cleaning aerosolizes what is in your mouth.

2. Anything with a crowd is bad.

3. Being around others for 8 or 10 hours increases risk even if employers can better enforce the rules of distancing and masking.

4. Waiting rooms could be risky if people are ignoring precautions, but many hospitals and doctor's offices are changing their protocols (such as spacing out chairs or having people check in digitally).

5. Eating outdoors is better than indoors because of air circulation.

3: Getting groceries, camping, hotels, golfing, and libraries/museums

1. While grocery shopping has added many new precautions, if many people aren't wearing masks, the risk is much higher.

2. Big camping events or overnight camps for children pose higher risks, but a family unit going camping by themselves is less risky.

3. The biggest risks at hotels are check-in time and other congregation spots (breakfast). Try to find a hotel that has contactless check-in to lower your risk.

4. Golfing has a low risk unless people start mingling, sharing golf carts and getting within 6 feet of each other.

5. Libraries and museums typically aren't crowded areas and often have larger spaces and higher ceilings, and are in a position to enforce masks and distancing better.

2: Going for a walk, run, or bike ride with others and getting fuel

1. Walking on trails poses a low risk because you don't come into contact with many people and aren't near them for long, although the risk increases if you're with a large group of people who aren't wearing masks and are close together. If possible, give extra space to unmasked people running past you in the opposite direction (they are breathing harder).

2. Getting your car gas is low risk because you are not there for long and you don't really see anyone else. In theory, the virus can stay on the handle of the gas pump, so to be completely safe, use hand sanitizer after refueling.

1: Getting takeout from a restaurant and PLAYING TENNIS

1. Very low risk due to curbside pickup and touchless payment.

2. Spacing is a part of the game, it is typically outdoors, and there is only 2 to 4 people on a court. Tennis is a go!

So there you have it! 36 activities ranked by risk. Personally, I will be using this list to guide what I do during the summer. Unfortunately, I will probably not be attending church for a while, but I am so ready to learn tennis. And good thing I am not 21, so the bar thing probably won't be as big of a deal to me. Have a great week!

Source: https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/06/from-hair-salons-to-gyms-experts-rank-36-activities-by-coronavirus-risk-level.html

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