Coronavirus Lockdowns Counterproductive? It's Safer Outdoors Than Inside, Say Experts

A recent survey has revealed that a shocking majority of people with COVID-19 in New York stayed home prior to getting admitted to hospitals. Does this mean people are less likely to catch the coronavirus while outdoors?

Health experts are increasingly confident in evidence revealing that the coronavirus spreads more indoors rather than outdoors. Such a finding could guide policymakers who are trying to figure out ways to end lockdowns that have affected the nation’s economy.

“Parks, beaches — as long as they're not cheek to jowl, cycling, walking, is good,” Tom Frieden, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told The Hill. “Enjoy nature. It’s good for us, and it has a very low risk of spreading the virus,” he added.

Studies support outdoor activities than those confined within indoor spaces since warmer temperatures pose lower COVID risk, tweeted Scott Gottlieb, the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner.

“As we re-open, states should look to ease rules to allow more recreational, religious, and business activities to occur outside,” read Gottlieb's tweet.

Another study that is yet to be peer-reviewed mentioned that there was only one outbreak reported outdoors amongst 320 Chinese cities outside Hubei Province between Jan. 4 and Feb. 11. The study recorded the venues in which the coronavirus outbreaks occurred and divided them into 6 different categories namely homes, transport, food, entertainment, shopping, and miscellaneous. The findings suggested outbreaks that occurred at 'home' were the dominant category, accounting for 79.9% of the cases.

“All identified outbreaks of three or more cases occurred in an indoor environment, which confirms that sharing indoor space is a major SARS-CoV-2 infection risk,” concluded the study published in medRxiv.

But why is that happening after undergoing numerous battles, arguments, and sacrifices to enforce stay-at-home orders?

Maybe people aren’t truly staying indoors all day or safe from being exposed to the coronavirus. People who stay home go grocery shopping, take walks in the neighborhood, order food, and might also be exposed to someone with the infection.

Since there is no straightforward answer to this issue, it is recommended that the public make informed decisions after the lockdown ceases. Health experts advised the public not to consider staying outdoors completely safe and urged them to continue taking all the precautionary measures such as maintaining social distancing and avoiding crowds to prevent COVID-19.