Dining out may increase COVID-19 spread

In a study related to novel coronavirus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that people who are dining at a restaurant at a higher risk of Covid-19 transmission than some other community activities.
From the findings, the research team examined data from adults at 11 facilities across the nation who tested positive for COvid-19 and compared that with a control group of adults without virus infection.
“We found that close contact with persons with known Covid-19 or going to locations that offer on-site eating and drinking options were associated with Covid-19 positivity,” said the study researchers from the CDC.
In this investigation, participants with and without Covid-19 reported generally similar community exposures, with the exception of going to locations with on-site eating and drinking options.
The researchers took a close look at how those patients responded to questions about wearing masks and various activities in the community, including whether they recently dined at a restaurant, hung out a bar or went to a gym.
The data showed that 42 per cent of the adults who tested positive reported having close contact with at least one person known to have Covid-19, compared with 14 per cent of those who were tested negative.
The researchers also found that 71 per cent of the adults with Covid-19 and 74 per cent of those who tested negative reported always using a face covering while in public. (IANS)