Is COVID on the menu tonight?
Are you starving for interaction after a season of quarantine?
Many people are heading into reopened restaurants and bars, eager to sit down for a meal they
didn’t cook, at a place other than home.
As COVID-19 cases sore in nearly half the U.S. states, and crowds at some restaurants
are reflecting pre-pandemic levels.
You might be left wondering: Is COVID on the menu tonight?
According to reports by the FDA, coronavirus does not transmit through the consumption
of food and drink, the way some other germs might.
Again, coronavirus is transmitted mainly due to respiratory droplets.
Which means you can even get sick just by talking to somebody infected with COVID-19.
So just how safe are you on during that romantic waterfront dining Tinder date?
Today, I’m going to be discussing just how safe it is to go out to restaurants.
What are the risks?
And if you do decide to go adventure out to eat, I’m going to go over all safety precautions
that you should take before, while they’re dining, and after.
Hey Everyone, I’m Doctor Jordan Wagner.
I’m a board-certified emergency medicine physician and on my show, I answer your urgent
medical questions and clear up myths about certain deadly diseases.
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Restaurants are clambering to remain financially stable as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses.
Most states have ordered restaurants to suspend all in-dining activity, and only offer their
carry-out menu.
Some state’s alcoholic beverage commissions are even temporarily suspending alcohol licenses,
in an effort to enforce CDC social distancing protocols.
Some U.S. states, however, are slowly allowing food establishments to resume in-service dining,
with COVID-19 safety restrictions implemented.
Before You Go:
Before running off for your boozy brunch with all your friends, check your local, state,
and community orders on dining-out and ask yourself some of these questions:
Are you or anyone in your party over the age of 65-years-old, or at risk of severe illness?
Or still, believe that COVID-19 is a conspiracy theory?
The risk of getting COVID-19 increases with age, certain medical conditions, and lack
of intelligence (which we’re still waiting on an official report on).
Are you and everyone in your party, all on the same page and follow the CDC’s COVID-19
safety measures?
Wearing a mask?
Washing your hands?
Keeping 6-feet-distance?
If your friend Karen is an anti-masker, perhaps she should sit this one out.
Assess the current outbreak level of COVID-19 in your community.
If your community is making headlines as a “hotspot”, brunch can wait.
When you’re going out to eat, the CDC suggests that you call ahead, not only for reservations
but to confirm that COVID-19 safety measures are being followed.
When calling the restaurant, ask if servers and staff wear face coverings and if seating
follows social distancing requirements.
Restaurants and bars must follow state and local health orders, but the use of CDC safety
measures may vary between establishments because owners are allowed to make adjustments based
on community needs and their re-opening phase.
Also, ask if it’s possible to arrange call-ahead seating or even pre order your meal so it’s
ready for you when you arrive.
Doing this limits your time spent inside the restaurant.
While You’re There:
So you finally sat down with your friends, now what?
For starters, no pun intended, don’t go ordering an appetizer and ditch the communal
bread bowl.
These things will only lead to a COVID-19 breeding ground.
Wear a face covering at the restaurant at all times, except when eating.
This includes indoor and outdoor dining areas.
Stay 6 feet or more away from others who don’t live with you.
Remember to follow this social distancing rule when entering, exiting, using hallways,
and hanging out in a waiting area.
Don’t use self-service food and drink options.
Avoid the soda machines, salad bar, buffets; again, any type of communal service is best
to avoid; sharing utensils, buttons, and touch screens
Leave the paper cash at home.
Your grandmother might still be writing a check at the grocery store, but it’s the
twenty-first century.
Pay with a credit card or some type of smartphone contactless payment method.
Number five:
Ok, bathrooms.
A recent study published in Physics of Fluids, reports the dangers of using a communicable
bathroom during COVID-19 pandemic.
Public bathrooms typically don’t have toilet coverings and droplets raise 3 feet, into
the air, from a single flush and inhaled by the unsuspecting user.
As a reminder, COVID-19 isn’t just spread through respiratory droplets, it’s also
spread by fecal-oral transmission.
So, what do you do if you need to use the bathroom?
Wear a mask, of course and scope out the bathroom ahead of time to see how congested it is and
it’s best to stick with a single family-style restroom.
What are restaurants doing to protect their customers?
Number one:
Hand sanitizer stations have probably been placed at all entrances.
Some restaurants may screen you for COVID symptoms and take your temperature with an
infrared thermometer upon arrival.
Number two:
Restaurants are following state and local laws regarding reduced capacity and social
distancing.
Restaurants are spacing their tables 6 feet apart and even moving their dining room outdoors.
Infectious air-borne virus particles can potentially move throughout a space if emitted through
a diner's mouth or nose.
Furthermore, there may be a risk associate with air conditioning and spreading viral
particles through HVAC units.
Napkins, straws, silverware, and glassware should be given to you once you are seated.
These items should no longer be stationed on empty tables that are not being utilized.
Most restaurants are using disposal menus.
Condiments should be kept off of the table.
You shouldn’t spot any salt and pepper shakers or ketchup bottles.
Ask your server for items that you need.
Any type of mints, candies, or toothpick stationed on the hostess stands, is now a thing of the
past.
And lastly, any type of leftover you might want to bring home should be filled by yourself.
When You Leave:
The best way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus or any germs is to properly and
regularly wash your hands.
When you’re done with your meal, and when you get home, wash your hands with soap and
water for 20 seconds, or use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
I don't want to scare anyone and I don’t want anyone to be fearful.
Just think a little bit more before you head out with your friends.
For the time being without a vaccine and without effective therapies to combat COVID-19, there
is always going to be a risk.
But these risks can be mitigated by these different pillars of infection control we
have in place.
All right, that's been a quick coronavirus conversation with me, Doctor Wagner.
Let me know in the comments if you have any other medical questions that you’d like
me to answer.
As always, make sure to subscribe and hit that bell notification.
Thank you so much for watching.
Until next time, stay healthy my friends.