A guide to safe outdoor activities during the coronavirus pandemic

在Pandemedim.tim Foster / Outplash期间,道路较少的旅行总是一个更好的选择

随着官员敦促我们限制不必要的旅行,我们中的许多人可能开始感到有点疯狂。在外面和自然界很重要for dealing with stress and anxiety—the exact emotions in overdrive right now. But is it possible to safely head outdoors without putting your and others’ health at risk?

The short answer is yes—we can technically walk, run, and bike alone or with our immediate household without violating social distancing rules. But there’s more to consider before opening the door.

  • 坚持官方指南

    Before you lace up your shoes, check what local health officials are saying for your area. “It’s really important that people understand the situation that they’re in,” says Lisa Miller, epidemiologist at the Colorado School of Public Health. “Understand your own locality and the public health recommendations or public health orders that are in place and abide by those first and foremost.”

    In some locations with more cases of the virus, access to beaches, parks, and trails is being restricted. Restrictions can be very localized—while加州冠状病毒响应网站says that you can still hike and run outside, individual cities and counties in the stateare closing outdoor areasthat proved to be too crowded to maintain safe distances. Also, while national park fees have been waived, many areindividually cutting back on camping and visitor services, or closing altogether.

    For some activities, you may be able to find guidance from local sport-specific organizations. In Salt Lake City, for example, the local rock climbing association has told climbers to远离户外悬崖, as there are simply too many rock climbers in the area to maintain a safe distance.

    如果我们从这种体验中学到了任何东西,那就是最佳实践的指导方针可以从日常工作发生。所以保持了解情况。“如果这意味着你真的需要坚持室内运动,然后坚持室内运动,”添加米勒。“如果它仍然被允许在外面和锻炼身体上,那就太好了,但真的保持距离人的六英尺距离,并没有参与会让您与其他人联系的活动。”

  • Safe activities: minimize contact, shared surfaces with others

    一般来说,跑步,走路和骑自行车或与您的直接家庭可以通过最小的捕获或传播病毒的风险来完成。但是在团体中进行的体育和涉及物理接触是禁止的。米勒表示要记住,病毒可以通过直接接触或通过触摸相同的物体来传播。在考虑一项活动时,请考虑你对别人的关注程度,以及你是否会触及同样的事情。除了自己以外的人触及球或其他运动器材越多,您对疾病传播的风险越多。如果您的进入运动有太多的不确定因素来制作一个明确的呼叫,而且不知道是否有可能在特定的小径或公园保持距离 - 最好是保守,不要去。

    If you’ve satisfied all the above precautions and are ready to go, “wash your hands before you go out,” says Grace Roberts, a virologist at Queen’s University Belfast. “You don’t know if you’re infected.” Also, bring everything you need—water, snacks, etc.—so that you can minimize having to stop at any stores. Don’t use public restrooms or other shared facilities.

    Then, when you’re out, avoid touching surfaces with your hands and keep your hands away from your face. For example, you might use your elbow to hit a crosswalk button. Roberts says that when she’s running, she reserves her left hand for hitting the crosswalk button or any other surfaces, while her right hand is used for adjusting her glasses, or handling water and snacks. Once you get home, immediatelywash your hands.

  • 留下本地并展开

    那些经历裁员或新发现的远程工作自由可能会误解了自治的意义。最近几周,户外旅游热点的官员致电旅行者留在家。在户外以中心为中心的摩押,犹他州地区的一封信,医院管理人员expressed concern over the impact of tourism:“作为17床的关键访问医院,我们没有ICU和最小的能力,以关注关键的呼吸患者。此外,我们现在关注旅游将推动SARS-COV-2的传播。“

    就算是最友好的旅行者必须make stops for gas and groceries, introducing opportunities for the virus to jump to new locations. Stay close to home to prevent this. Miller says to think about all the steps involved in a particular activity—will you have to stop for food, equipment, or anything else? The more stops, the more you risk contracting and spreading the virus. “You can’t just think about the end goal,” says Miller. “You have to think about all of those other things.”

    即使是当地的旅行,计划仔细途径。想想哪些地方往往会拥挤,并选择较少繁忙的替代品。由于非营利性户外组织没有痕迹把它放了: “Absolutely avoid crowded parks, trails and beaches. Social distancing applies in the outdoors just as it does anywhere else.” And, the group adds, be prepared to pack out any trash, since many parks are only providing limited services right now.

  • Hospitals don't need more patients - choose low-risk sports

    随着许多有关医院能力的地区,现在不是花费任何风险。Tommy Caldwell,专业的攀岩运动员,告诉他的Instagram粉丝last week that he wouldn’t be climbing outside during the health crisis: “Soon taking up space in a hospital bed will amount to a death sentence for someone else.”

    With ski resorts closed,科罗拉多州太阳报报道that more Coloradans are taking to the backcountry to ski, facing increased risks. Especially if that new crowd includes skiers without essential gear and training, it could place an additional burden on emergency services and hospitals. And, of course, denser crowds means it’s harder to maintain six feet of space.

    This advice even goes for city-bound activities, like road cycling. Roberts says that cyclists should think about which routes put them in close contact with motorists. If you’re planning bike rides, you may want to avoid routes where you have to share the roads with cars to reduce the odds of getting in an accident.

    “You want to make sure that you are limiting risk and not getting injured because the last thing you want to do is end up in a health care system, especially for communities that may not have a lot of healthcare resources,” says Miller. “Most health care resources right now are really focused on making sure they preserve all the resources they possibly can for COVID-19.”

原始来源:https://www.popsci.com/story/environment/lockdown-coronavirus-covid-go-outside/