I’ve been trying to remember the last time I enjoyed a meal at a restaurant or café, and honestly, I can’t seem to recall. It must have been sometime in early 2020. While I’ve certainly ordered takeout, my wife and I have turned our monthly outing into a unique COVID-19 date night where we drive to our favorite taco place, eat in the car, and listen to ’90s music, leaving our teenage son in charge of his younger sisters.
Like many, I miss dining out with family and friends, and I empathize deeply with those working in the restaurant sector. However, the reality is that restaurants are prime locations for COVID-19 transmission.
Last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study highlighting the effectiveness of mask-wearing in combating COVID-19. The study revealed that areas where in-person dining was permitted experienced a notable rise in daily infections about six weeks later, followed by increased death rates roughly two months later.
The CDC reiterated its stance: “Mask mandates and restrictions on in-person dining can help limit community transmission of COVID-19 and reduce the rates of cases and deaths.” Yet, many states, including Texas and Mississippi, are rapidly lifting mask mandates and allowing full-capacity dining, as if the pandemic is behind us.
Let me be clear: It’s not over.
Yes, vaccination efforts are advancing. According to the New York Times, over 54 million Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. We now have three authorized vaccines, which is fantastic. My wife, who works at our children’s school in Oregon, recently received her first shot and is scheduled for the second soon.
However, we’re still facing significant risks. The U.S. continues to report around 2,000 COVID-19 deaths daily—a sobering number. Is the chance of contracting or spreading COVID-19 worth the pleasure of enjoying breadsticks in a restaurant? We both know the answer: an emphatic “no.”
Research from China, published in October 2020, indicated that indoor environments like restaurants are among the most likely places to contract COVID-19. Additionally, a September 2020 CDC study found that confirmed COVID-19 cases were nearly twice as likely to have dined out in the two weeks prior to falling ill.
Ventilation plays a crucial role in how the virus spreads, and indoor dining venues typically lack adequate airflow. According to Jose-Luis Jimenez, an aerosols expert from the University of Colorado, restaurant diners release aerosols into the air similarly to cigarette smoke. Safety guidelines recommend gathering outdoors and only with members of your household while wearing masks, but dining indoors contradicts this advice. “You spend a lot of time there, talking without a mask, sharing the same air,” he explained.
It’s been a long year; we can afford to be patient. Let’s hold off on indoor dining until we make more progress with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Just last week, President Biden announced that we’re on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in the U.S. by the end of May, a timeline that has improved from his earlier estimate of July.
So, for those in states where restaurants are reopening for in-person dining, my advice is straightforward: Don’t. Takeout is still an option. Tip generously when you can; support local businesses while also taking necessary steps to curb the spread of the virus.
There is clearly light at the end of this long and dark COVID-19 tunnel. Progress is being made with vaccinations and declining case numbers, but we shouldn’t rush ahead. We must recognize that COVID-19 remains a serious and deadly threat, especially with new variants emerging. Let’s do everything we can to continue pushing through until we reach herd immunity with the vaccine. Then, and only then, can we dine in restaurants again without the fear of contracting COVID alongside our meal.
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Summary
The article discusses the risks associated with in-person dining during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the findings of a CDC study that links such dining to increased infection and death rates. While vaccination efforts are progressing, the author urges caution and suggests continuing to support local restaurants through takeout rather than indoor dining until it’s safe.