Hugging and shaking hands raise risk of COVID-19 infection

Muscat: Hugging and shaking hands while greeting a friend are among the activities that could cause a moderately high risk of catching COVID-19, says a report published by the Texas Medical Association.
On a scale of one to 10, hugging or shaking hands with others could lead to a 70 per cent chance of catching the disease, said the report, as could going to a hair salon or barbershop, eating inside a restaurant, attending a wedding or funeral, travelling by plane, and playing basketball or football.
Eight activities were listed as high-risk for contracting COVID-19. There was an eight out of 10 chance if people did any one of the following: eating at a buffet, working out at a gym, going to the park, or going to the theatre.
Activities which had a high concentration of people in a small area, such as going to a concert or a sports event, attending a religious service with more than 500 people, or going to a bar, meant people at these places had a nine in 10 chance of becoming infected.
The information shared by the Texas Medical Association has been well received by doctors who took to social media to encourage people to use it to create an informed opinion of how certain activities could lead to people contracting COVID-19.
Oncologist Gil Morgan, who worked in Texas, said this was a great way to find out the risk of getting infected. “Is going camping as risky as eating in a restaurant?” he asked. “A great way to find out, but no matter what, use the mask.”
Dr Natasha Bhuyan from Phoenix, Arizona, added: “It’s helpful to understand that not all public activities are equal risk of COVID-19 transmission. For example, grocery stores have been open this entire pandemic and are not hotspots.”
“Five actions have proven effective at slowing the spread of COVID-19,” said a statement from the Texas Medical Association, which has recently decided to pull out of advertising at the State Convention of the Republican Party of Texas because it is an event that has been promoted as one which a large number of people will be attending in person. “Stay home when possible, wash hands frequently, avoid large crowds, keep six feet apart, and wear face masks or face coverings when around non-family members.”