- Ready or not Wisconsin is reopening for business,
including water parks, restaurants,
bars and gift shops.
So how do you know what activities are safe
and how do you best protect your family?
Professor Emeritus Pat Remington is with the University of
Wisconsin Department of Population Health Sciences,
and Professor Remington joins us this week with his insights.
Thanks a lot for being here.
- Thanks for having me.
- So, first, what is your belief
as to whether or not the time is right
to start reopening the economy?
- Well, I certainly think it's time.
The question is not 'when we do it' but more 'how we do it.'
We know there are risks of COVID-19 being transmitted from
person to person and that risk will continue for a long time.
So what we should do is understand the science
and the evidence about how risk is determined,
how the virus is transmitted from person to person.
And then, once we understand that,
then take those steps: baby steps at first, and then,
eventually, work towards a complete opening of a business.
- Even as we start to do this now,
should we then expect spikes in positive cases?
- Well, we will expect continued transmission.
Despite the number of cases and the number of deaths,
there's a large portion of the population that's susceptible
so we will continue to see
transmission from person to person.
What we want is those spikes to be very small
and to be contained through isolation of sick individuals
and then contact tracing.
If we do that, then we can keep those spikes--
What I like to think about is
small grass fires that you can put out,
as opposed to a big forest fire that overwhelms
our health care system's ability to care for people.
- Notwithstanding the fact
that it's almost become kind of a political message,
is it your belief that we all should be wearing masks?
- Well, I think wearing masks is an important demonstration
of your concern about spreading the illness to others.
And there's good evidence:
both epidemiologic, but also experimental
that if you happen to be sick and not know it
and you cough, or sneeze, or even breathe,
that wearing a mask will keep the virus from spreading
that's-- to that six-foot range.
So, we don't know if we're sick.
Lots of people don't have symptoms or you develop--
You are contagious before those symptoms develop
so putting a mask on
is just in case I'm sick and I don't know it
or just in case I'm about to become ill.
I'm gonna reduce the risk that I'll infect someone else
and there's good evidence on that.
So, it's I think it's a good thing to do.
Particularly if you're gonna be in a shopping center
or in a hair salon, closer than that six-foot range,
that's an extra a bit of insurance to make sure
you don't transmit the virus to someone else.
- Well, speaking of which, I wanted to kind of tick down
some of the kinds of activities that people might be doing
and ask you whether or not it's your belief that these are safe,
including restaurants and bars.
What about that?
- Well, again, I think indoor spaces
are higher risk than outdoors.
So, if a restaurant or a bar can seat patrons out of-- outdoors,
then that will reduce the risk.
Also, if we know that the six-feet is generally accepted
distance that is safer than being closer to that.
So, if it's a restaurant or bar,
that can seat people at a distance
of six feet or more, then that makes it a safer.
But anytime you go indoors, you are at risk
of coming into contact with someone who might be sick.
So, there's a risk,
but what we wanna do is keep that risk as small as possible.
- You know, a lot of people are saying,
"Well, pools should be safe
because the chlorine kills the virus."
What about things like pools and water parks?
- Well, again, I think--
As long as people can stay physically distant,
six feet or more,
then outdoor places are better than indoor places.
We know that from research studies.
But the risk is that you go to a place like a pool
and it gets crowded and all of a sudden,
you don't have that physical distancing
But we know outdoors-- the sun, the wind, just a drying effects-
won't help the virus be transmitted
so that reduces the risk.
And I think, as long as you can maintain that six-foot distance.
Obviously, wearing a mask is not practical when you're swimming
so that extra protection won't be available,
but I think as long as you maintain physical distancing
and engage in good hand hygiene,
should you touch surfaces that might be contaminated,
that those places will generally be safe
for people to visit.
- You know, it seems like the kind of Safer at Home
or stay at home orders has set in kind of a fatigue
over all of that,
and you're increasingly see, kind of,
groups of children at playgrounds.
What about things like that,
like play dates and even going back to school?
- Well, I think it gets back to, again,
understanding what the risks for transmission are.
First of all, if you're ill, not feeling well,
obviously stay at home and self-isolate.
But even if you're well and you go out and you're thinking
you're gonna be closer than six feet to an individual,
the use of a mask will reduce the risk substantially.
So, I think that's a good thing to do,
should you gather in your backyard with neighbors.
And then, finally, just engage in physical distancing.
It's not hard to set tables six feet apart.
It's not hard to have lawn chairs
that are set far apart.
I've seen it in our neighborhood.
I've seen it down in the University Bay fields
where people are gathering,
but the chairs are spread far apart.
That knowing what we know about the virus,
being outdoors in the wind and the sun,
and being physically distant,
certainly there is a potential risk,
but that risk is very small.
- Alright, Dr. Pat Remington, Thanks very much.
- Thanks for having me.
Have a good night.