Five Tips for Going Outdoors with Others During the Pandemic

Despite the lockdown, California national parks as well as other outdoor areas across the country are still open to visit with certain restrictions. In the time of COVID-19, there are a number of things to keep in mind even for a seemingly safe activity such as hiking.

Photo by Jeffrey Keenan

Below I’ve listed five important tips to help you stay safe if you and few others decide to get out of the house to see some nature or exercise. That said, please note that the advice listed below is purely for reference purposes. Even if you follow all the tips, you may still be susceptible to catching COVID-19. The safest option–as noted by medical professionals–is to stay home. If you do go out, hopefully these tips help, but also be sure to do your own due diligence.

Photo by Mark Hang Fung So

1. Outdoors Not Indoors

It has been shown that COVID-19 can spread much easier indoors than outdoors. Indoor gatherings with people not social distancing nor wearing face masks, are highly contagious situations for the virus to spread and infect others. When indoors, without proper ventilation, the virus can accumulate over time, thus increasing the exposure to those that are inside.

When outdoors, the open air helps dissipate virus particles and reduces the chance of it spreading to others. However, that doesn’t mean that individuals should be gathering closely outdoors: droplets that contain the virus can still travel approximately 6 feet from a contagious individual regardless if they’re indoors or outdoors.

Here are some fun and safe activities that can be enjoyed outdoors:

• Hiking
• Jogging
• Taichi
• Rock climbing
• Yoga
• Calisthenics
• Cycling
• …and more!

Photo by Jakayla Toney

2. Testing Helps but is Not a Free Pass

Testing availability will vary widely based on where you’re located. Here in LA County, we’re fortunate to have a variety of free, local testing sites that offer results within 24 to 72 hours. Be sure that you’re taking an RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) test as it is currently the most accurate COVID-19 test available.

However, a negative result doesn’t mean you’re completely in the clear. An RT-PCR test just measures if the virus was present in your system at the time of the test; it’s a snapshot. One may still catch the virus in the time between taking the test and receiving the result. It is also possible that one may have been exposed recently and that the virus is still in the incubation period.

Also even if one has been exposed to the virus, false negatives are a possibility. But if one tests positive, then one most likely has COVID-19 as false positives are rare.

The ideal situation is that everyone quarantines for 14 days and tests negative for COVID-19 prior to going on a trip together. Now that may not be feasible especially for essential workers and in communities where testing is limited. What are some other ways to be safe?

Photo by Ryotando

3. Drive Separately

As mentioned in my first tip, being indoors and less than six feet apart is a prime situation for the virus to spread. When traveling to an outdoor activity, it is preferred that each individual drive their own vehicle to the location. This helps limit the exposure one has with others.

If a group decides to carpool, the ideal situation is that everyone in the vehicle (as mentioned in tip #2):

• Has been quarantining for the past 14 days.
• Tested negative for COVID-19 with an RT-PCR test within the last 48–72 hours.
• Wears a face mask and a face shield throughout the duration of the trip.
• Keeps the vehicle windows open to let fresh air in.

Now the above is an ideal situation, but may have to be adapted to fit the needs of the group. Again though, the safest situation is to drive separately.

Photo by Cynthia Magana

4. Limit the Number of People

During the pandemic, one now has a good reason to decline invites with people, particularly with those that maybe one wasn’t close to to begin with.

On outings, it’s best to go with people from the same household such as family or roommates. This limits the number of vectors, i.e. causes of getting sick. People from the same household interact with each other already, whereas interacting with non-household members brings an added risk.

It’s important to limit the number of people that you hang out with. By keeping gatherings small and ideally with other people that practice the same health and safety measurements, can reduce the spread of the disease.

Photo by Heshan Perera

5. Social Distance, Wash Hands, Wear Masks

This last tip you might have already heard ad nauseum, but it still holds true even with all the other precautions I’ve mentioned above.

Social distancing: keep approximately 6 feet apart from people. COVID-19 travels approximately 6 feet, but may travel farther indoors and/or when someone is sneezing or shouting.

Wash hands: Direct contact is a leading cause in the transmission of the disease, that’s why it’s important to wash one’s hands frequently. If one touched a public surface like a doorknob, elevator button, etc…it’s important to wash one’s hands and/or sanitize for approximately 20 seconds (i.e. singing the happy birthday song twice) right after. This helps kill the virus and prevents you from spreading it to others.

Wear masks: evidence shows that proper masks and mask wearing helps reduce the number of droplets released from a person’s mouth as well as the distance it travels. Masks also help prevent the exposure to potential virus carrying droplets in the air from others. Masks are effective in slowing down the disease and are another tool in the tool box to help keep you and your loved ones safe. However, if you’re in the great outdoors and over six feet apart from others, feel free to take off your mask to breathe in some clean air from time to time.

Going out, getting fresh air, and connecting with other human beings is an important part of staying healthy. For some, meeting others only virtually is not enough. Therefore, if you do plan to hang out with a small group of loved ones, please keep in mind the tips above. This is not an exhaustive list…be sure to do your own research from trusted sources. Stay safe and healthy!