Viral chart shows risk of activities during COVID-19, but is it accurate?
A chart released by the Texas Medical Association that rates the risk of various activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic has gone viral. But is it correct? Here's what you need to consider when looking at the graphic.
A chart that shows the risk of different activities amid the coronavirus pandemic has gone viral - but exactly how accurate is it?
COVID-19 RISK CALCULATOR: Quiz yourself on the safest, most dangerous things you can do as California reopens
The graphic was made and released by the Texas Medical Association. It shows the relative risk of ordering takeout, doing your groceries, eating at a restaurant and pretty much everything else as we continue to live with the threat of COVID-19.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SIZE IMAGE
But before you use this graphic as a roadmap for your life, you should ask yourself a few questions. Ok, maybe it's actually a lot of questions:
"When people are considering an activity or outing, they have to consider variables such as indoors versus outdoors, time spent around others, density of people, shared surfaces and the ability to physical distance," says Dr. Alok Patel, a contributor to KABC's sister station, KGO, for starters.
App users, for a better experience: Click here to view the story in a new window
For example, the Texas Medical Association chart lists going to the beach as a higher risk than going grocery shopping. However, walking along an empty beach in NorCal's Mendocino County by yourself poses next-to-no COVID-19 risk. Going to a crowded grocery store where no one is wearing masks (not allowed in California, by the way) would pose a relatively higher health risk.
KGO asked experts to help navigate the risk of 12 activities you may want to do in California. Check out our interactive story below to see what they had to say.
Then there's the question of any underlying medical conditions you might have, or if you have high-risk members of your household.
Plus, you should also think about the rate of transmission in your community. Going out to a restaurant Orange County isn't the same risk as going out to eat in NorCal's in Shasta County, for example.
The biggest asterisk on all of the activities in the chart? Masks. If people aren't wearing face coverings during any of those activities, the risk factor gets dialed way up.
RELATED: Here's everything allowed to open in CA (and what we're still waiting on)
"People need to keep in mind that businesses could follow every single safety precaution perfectly and that still may not be enough," says Patel. "The general public visiting those businesses need to be responsible, as well."
For those reasons, the Texas chart isn't totally off base, but it's a bit simplified. You may want to think of the chart as more a "litmus test," suggests Patel, as opposed to actionable health advice.
RELATED: California didn't reopen too quickly, Gov. Gavin Newsom says as watch list grows to 23 counties
Which masks protect those around you best? Researchers weigh in
