Covid Risk Chart

[Kirk W]

The Texas Medical Association has just published a chart that rates various activities by the degree of risk to be exposed to the covid-19 as you participate. We found it worth saving and so I thought that I would make it available to anyone here who wishes to download a copy. 

      Texas Medical Association

Edited July 10, 2020 by Kirk W

[Ronbo]

Where is “Shopping at Lowe’s” on this chart. Probable same as grocery shopping although at Lowe’s I see everyone attempting to avoid close contact.

[Randyretired]

Since low risk doesn't mean no risk we have decided to obstain from all but the most necessary activities.

[Barbaraok]

1 hour ago, Randyretired said:

Since low risk doesn't mean no risk we have decided to obstain from all but the most necessary activities.

Same for us!

[hemsteadc]

Mask -wearing at walmart was about 98% today. A month ago maybe 60%.  So yay!

[sandsys]

I'm struggling with the going to gym item. The fitness center here is small with every other machine covered to prevent use. You can only go by appointment. Every one is required to wear a mask. Every machine is cleaned between users and touch points are wrapped in plastic wrap. The have been no new cases in the apartments or care center since two each at the very beginning of this pandemic. I have been literally staying home since January but my weight loss is slowing so I feel a need to add exercise. Hall walking is discouraged here because of lack of social distancing. Since I have three comorbidities (none affecting lungs) I am cautious. But, I need to lose another 50 pounds. What do you all think? Should I go?

Linda

[durangodon]

As someone who has spent his whole life in and out of gyms, I can tell you that the gyms on Kirk's Covid Chart and the one you are describing Linda are probably nothing close to the same.

Most gyms are full of sweaty, hard breathing younger folks going full blast.  They are filling the atmosphere with their exhalations at a rapid pace.  If only one or two of them are carrying an airborne disease, most likely everyone else is inhaling it.

If your gym meets that description, then stay away from it.  But, if it's like most gyms I've seen in elderly facilities, you don't have much to worry about.  You're probably risking your health more by staying out of the gym.  I would advise to try and go when there is the least amount of activity.

 

[Randyretired]

40 minutes ago, hemsteadc said:

Mask -wearing at walmart was about 98% today. A month ago maybe 60%.  So yay!

In the small town near where we are few if any are wearing masks.  In fact they look at you with suspicion if you are wearing a mask.  When I last visited Walmart in Grand Junction, CO most were not wearing masks outside of the employees.  There are only a few cases here and 0 deaths but it IS here and it may become a problem.

[Kirk W]

Just as it isn't possible to list every store or type of shopping, it is also not possible to make a list that is sized to be useful and still break every activity into different classifications. One that I noticed is that only a large church is on the list too, while there are probably more small churches than there are large one. On the TV news today a representative of the organization was discussing that guide with reporters. What they said was that it was intended to give examples for the public to use as a guide to compare other activities to. They are well aware that it isn't one size fits all so act accordingly. If your Lowe's store has the employees masked and is taking precautions much like the grocery store, it is likely a similar risk. If your gym is not typical but is allowing fewer people and keeping distances greater than most, then you can assume that the risk is less. You have to use some judgement and that is only a tool for comparison. It is also based on the rules issued by the TX governor and how most in TX are reacting to them. so it may be less help if your rules or public practice is different. 

Quote

The chart is intended as a guide, prepared by physician experts, to help Texans make smart and educated choices of activities to pursue amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The TMA COVID-19 Task Force and the TMA Committee on Infectious Diseases. Please assume that participants in these activities are following currently recommended safety protocols when possible.

 

[sandsys]

9 hours ago, durangodon said:

As someone who has spent his whole life in and out of gyms, I can tell you that the gyms on Kirk's Covid Chart and the one you are describing Linda are probably nothing close to the same.

Most gyms are full of sweaty, hard breathing younger folks going full blast.  They are filling the atmosphere with their exhalations at a rapid pace.  If only one or two of them are carrying an airborne disease, most likely everyone else is inhaling it.

If your gym meets that description, then stay away from it.  But, if it's like most gyms I've seen in elderly facilities, you don't have much to worry about.  You're probably risking your health more by staying out of the gym.  I would advise to try and go when there is the least amount of activity.

 

That makes so much sense. Thank you. I would go late afternoon which is not a particularly popular time for our residents according to the staff there. Since I'm basically wanting to get my joints moving while burning a few calories it is not likely I will do any heavy breathing.

Linda

[Kirk W]

5 hours ago, sandsys said:

I would go late afternoon which is not a particularly popular time for our residents according to the staff there.

I can tell you that the list is not based on the standard gym of before covid days but as I said above it is based upon current practices in and rules for gyms in Texas. That means a limited number of patrons at a time, based on the size of the gym, it also specifies the distance between customers, wearing of masks by all staff and those not actively exercising, and several other restrictions. I have no way to know how the gyms here compare to the one that you visit, but I can tell you some of the reasons that they rate as a higher risk. The COVID19 is now believed to be passed mostly by airborne particles that are ejected from breathing of one person and ingested then by another. In a gym, users are breathing more heavily that would be the case in the typical business and all indoor facilities with heating or cooling in operation tend to recycle the air over and over so what is exhaled into the air does not get diluted like it would if outdoors and it does get recycled about the space. While your gym may not be as high a risk as the standard here in TX, they do not say that all gyms are the same but there is bound to be more risk to using any indoor gym than there would be to walking through a grocery store. 

Each of us must make a decision about what level of risk of exposure we are willing to take for the activities we choose. I would be very cautious about using a gym but yours may be that rare exception. 

[hemsteadc]

15 hours ago, Randyretired said:

  In fact they look at you with suspicion if you are wearing a mask. 

Why?  Don't they get the news there?

Edited July 11, 2020 by hemsteadc

[Darryl&Rita]

There's an RV park advertising that those wearing a mask entering the office run the risk of being shot as a robber. SMH

[Kirk W]

4 minutes ago, Darryl&Rita said:

There's an RV park advertising that those wearing a mask entering the office run the risk of being shot as a robber. 

How about sharing the name of that park so we who are doing the right thing can avoid them?

[Darryl&Rita]

Here ya' go, Kirk.

[dogyard]

Cause & Effect......

 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-idUSKBN24B2QI

[cactus]

21 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

Same for us!

Barb

X2 and BEST for Dave with the heat.

[Barbaraok]

2 hours ago, cactus said:

Barb

X2 and BEST for Dave with the heat.

The heat is really oppressive.  Cooling effect next week should get us under 110 every day!

[sandsys]

46 minutes ago, Barbaraok said:

The heat is really oppressive.  Cooling effect next week should get us under 110 every day!

Ugh! I'm sorry you are having to cope with this. All of it.

Linda

[Barbaraok]

39 minutes ago, sandsys said:

Ugh! I'm sorry you are having to cope with this. All of it.

Linda

It is what it is.  We can’t do s anything about it.  Just take it one day at a time.  Since we aren’t traveling, our expenses are less than we budget for this time of year. 😉

[Kirk W]

On 7/11/2020 at 9:17 AM, Darryl&Rita said:

There's an RV park advertising that those wearing a mask entering the office run the risk of being shot as a robber.

 

On 7/11/2020 at 10:10 AM, Darryl&Rita said:

Here ya' go, Kirk.

Interesting news story from back in May. I went to their Facebook page and looked over quite a bit of it, but didn't go far enough back to see that message, but even without seeing that in print, there was enough to get a pretty good feel for management views. 

Edited July 21, 2020 by Kirk W

[Ray,IN]

Kirk, I'm beginning to suspect natural selection figures in somewhere.