One Activity Twice as Likely to Contribute to COVID Contractions

The strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is still somewhat mysterious to health experts, and new data is making its way into the public eye at a breakneck pace.

This is still a virus, meaning that our experts do understand at least some of the more basic attributes of the illness, but beyond those obtuse characteristics, there is little known about exactly what COVID-19 does to the body.

We are also still learning about what the most dangerous activities are in regard to the spread of coronavirus, particularly as large events such as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally serve as impromptu experiments.

Researchers are now suggesting that eating out at a restaurant may be one of the most dangerous activities to engage in during these trying times.

Dining out at a restaurant or drinking at a bar may heighten the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 compared to other social activities, including shopping, visiting a salon or working at an office, according to a new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report, published Thursday by the CDC, comes as many states have begun allowing some form of indoor dining with safety measures in place — such as wearing a mask, physical distancing and limited capacity. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that indoor dining at restaurants in the once hard-hit New York City could resume at 25% capacity beginning Sept. 30.

This news could spell trouble for the already-devastated restaurant industry in America, where millions of workers who normally live paycheck to paycheck are already suffering mightily.