“A half-hour seems like about the right time, where hopefully you can get something done, but you’re not putting yourself in a higher risk situation,” Linsey Marr, PhD, an aerosol scientist at Virginia Tech, told The New York Times recently. Michael Osterholm, PhD, a member of President-Elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisory group and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, agrees. “The time of exposure is really important,” he told The Times. Read on to discover more safety tips when you’re shopping for Thanksgiving, and for the latest on the coronavirus where you live, This Is How Close Your State Is to Locking Down. Read the original article on Best life. If you want to ensure you keep your shopping trip to 30 minutes or less, it’s a good idea to have a plan of attack. Marr and other experts recommend making a list, checking the store’s latest COVID policies, and avoiding peak shopping times so you can limit contact with other shoppers. And for one thing you might want to keep off the menu this year, This Is the Most Hated Thanksgiving Dessert, Survey Says. It should go without saying, but wearing a well-fitting mask is essential to safe shopping. That means making sure your mask fits tight around the edges while still allowing optimal breathing space around your nose and mouth. According to an Oct. 2020 study published in the journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, store employees who interact with customers—like grocery store cashiers—are five times as likely to test positive for COVID-19 as their coworkers who don’t interact with customers. With that being the case, try to use self-checkout or contactless payment options if they are available. And for the latest COVID news delivered to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb In the event that you are unable to use contact-free checkout services, there are still steps you can take to limit your risk when interacting with cashiers. Marr, Osterholm, and the other experts consulted by The New York Times recommend keeping a safe distance, making sure your mask is secure, and keeping the conversation to a minimum. And for another Turkey Day safety tip, If You’re Doing This, You Won’t Be Totally Safe From COVID on Thanksgiving.
