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Is it safe to go to the pool over Memorial Day during COVID-19? Can grandkids visit? Your reopening questions, answered

Grace Hauck

Nail salons, barber shops, pools, gyms, beaches, casinos, restaurants and more are slowly reopening, and many people are wondering how to stay safe as they start to venture outside their homes.

You've asked us dozens of questions about how to prevent catching and spreading the coronavirus, and we're speaking with experts to answer them. Have a question about reopening? Ask us through this form.

It's important to note that the answers vary on a case-by-case basis and depend on how much risk you're willing to take on, experts say.

"We just have to realize that nothing is without risk, and people have different levels of tolerance for that risk," said Dr. Stacey Rose, an assistant professor of medicine in the section of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. "We have to be ready to pivot as we learn more about this disease, transmission risks, and how we can mitigate that. Everybody needs to have a healthy dose of cautious optimism."

How to reenter society:Your questions and advice from experts on life post-quarantine

I have a 7-year-old grandson and they are opening swimming pools. How can I protect him?

– Connie from Columbus, Ohio

There is no evidence that the coronavirus can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas or water play areas, according to the CDC. Disinfecting the water with chlorine or bromine – disinfectants typically used in pools and hot tubs, respectively – should inactivate the virus, the CDC says.

Other human coronaviruses have been shown to be sensitive to chlorination, according to the WHO.

The CDC this week published guidance for public pools, hot tubs and water parks on how to safely reopen. The agency suggests modifying layouts to promote social distancing, regularly disinfecting surfaces, staggering use of communal spaces, encouraging the use of cloth face masks (but not in water) and more.

The CDC suggests that pool operators consult with the company or engineer that designed the pool to decide which Environmental Protection Agency-approved disinfectant would be best for the water.

However, the greatest risk at pools isn't the water, experts say. It's the other people at the pool, who could spread the virus through respiratory droplets when they cough or sneeze.

"If you're in a community that has transmission, a community swimming pool makes no sense," said Greg Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. People tend to laugh, shout and spit in the pool, possibly exposing others to their respiratory droplets, Poland said. Risk of transmission increases if the pool is crowded.

An outdoor pool would likely be a safer option than an indoor pool, especially if visitors are able to socially distance, Rose said. "But don’t have your July 4th celebration with 100 people packed into a pool. That’s not going to happen," Rose said.

Going to the beach may be an even safer option. "The ocean can be very different. You're bringing all your own equipment. You're outside. You can appropriately distance. (But) I wouldn't be swimming in the ocean with 50 people around me," Poland said.

I want to invite my children and grandchildren, who live in another state, to visit me in June. I have been self-quarantining, and so have they. What precautions do we need to take as we get together?

– Dece from Cleveland, Ohio

It's not safe to visit until community transmission has been eliminated in both areas and the groups getting together have no illness and have had no outside exposures for a week to two weeks beforehand, according to Greg Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. 

"If I'm the grandparent and my 16-year-old grandchild went with a group of kids to a summer camp, they don't come and visit me until 14 days have passed. There's so many specifics that are unique to each situation. The answer fundamentally revolves around, what do we think the risk for either party is?" Poland said.

This is a case of merging "bubbles," Rose said.

"You’ve been in a bubble. They’ve been in a bubble. And now you’re going to open your bubbles. You have to recognize that there may be risks you’re not aware of. Yes, you’ve been self-quarantining, but all of us have to do some type of contact with the outside world, whether it’s the grocery store, work, etc," Rose said.

Rose suggested taking typical precautions such as frequently washing hands, disinfecting surfaces and avoiding touching your face. Experts typically don't recommend wearing a mask inside the home, but that could be something "to consider" for the first week or two weeks, Rose said.

Is it safe to go to the gym?

– Patti from Salem, Oregon

Many gyms are putting protocols in place that may reduce the risk of transmission, such as separating workout equipment and limiting the number of people inside the gym at any given time.

"Provided that you are abiding by the guidance that is put in place, that’s the best way to protect yourself. But like everything in life, it’s a risk-benefit consideration," Rose said. "If you’re over 65 but you depend on your participation at the gym for your physical and mental well-being, and it’s your community, then you need to weigh that risk for yourself."

You can always discuss the risks with your doctor, too, Rose said.

Is it safe to eat out at a restaurant?

– Barbara from St Joseph, Michigan

Sit-down restaurants where people spend an hour or more increase your exposure over time, and the more people you eat with, the more opportunities there are to become infected, Devin Pope, a professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Chicago, recently told USA TODAY.

Some restaurants are spacing out tables at least 6 feet apart, per CDC guidance, but the lowest-risk food services are drive-thru, delivery, takeout and curbside pickup, according to the CDC.

"If you feel that it’s important for your mental well-being to engage in a communal activity, you have to weigh that risk," Rose said. "If you’re signed up to go to a restaurant with your family and friends, even if that night you develop some sniffles, it’s our communal responsibility right now to be good stewards of public health and stay home."

Will it continue to be unsafe for the elderly and immune-compromised to go out until a vaccine is available?

– Linda from St. Cloud, Minnesota

That is highly dependent on whether there virus is spreading in your community, according to Poland.

"It is a different answer in St. Cloud than it is in Houston. If you're in a major city, odds are there is community transmission, and it just takes coming into contact with an asymptomatic person (to get sick)," Poland said.

The majority of infections are asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic, Poland said. A study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that among a sample of adults in Los Angeles County, about 4% tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, suggesting a much higher prevalence of disease in the area than officially reported.

"For the elderly, until there's widespread testing, my recommendation is to maintain all the precautions that you can until this point. You can wear a mask. You know about hand hygiene," he said. "And I advise that people do get out, but under the right circumstances. It doesn't have to mean a bar, a restaurant or a movie theater. It can mean walking around your neighborhood if you maintain 30 or more feet from other people, because that's what the models are showing."

While a vaccine would be a game-changer, a proven antiviral treatment would also change the equation, said Dr. Lisa Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins.

"Those are things that make us feel differently about this virus vs. influenza or other viruses for which we have treatment. The research is so important. The vaccine is so important," she said.

What is the CDC's recommendation for wearing masks now that states are opening up?

– Linda from Cape Coral, Florida

The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in communities where the virus is spreading. And the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is recommending that retailers allow employees to wear face masks.

The CDC initially discouraged the general public from wearing face masks, but the agency adjusted those guidelines at the beginning of April.

"The important thing to know about wearing masks in public is that it is an act that protects the people around you. It’s a polite and important thing to do," Maragakis said. "If you think about it, that person who is not wearing a mask is not containing their own respiratory droplets."

How to make your own:Face masks help stop the spread of the coronavirus

Is wearing a mask a recommendation or a law?

– Allan from Delmar, New York

Nearly all 50 states either recommend or require people to wear face masks in certain public settings. Check out the state and local guidelines in your area.

Last week, a group of more than 100 scientists, academics and two Nobel Prize winners – a virologist and an economist – wrote an open letter calling on officials to require people to wear cloth masks in public places.

I notice in the grocery store that people all have masks on but not gloves. Are gloves necessary?

– Elizabeth from West Palm Beach, Florida

The CDC recommends wearing gloves when you are cleaning or caring for someone who is sick. In most other situations, such as running errands, wearing gloves is not necessary, the CDC says.

That's because a glove does not protect you any better than your own hand protects you, Poland said.

"The virus doesn't get through the skin. It can only infect you when you take that hand and touch your nose or mouth. As long as you sanitize your hands, you're fine," Poland said.

However, if your hands are so dirty that hand sanitizer would be ineffective and you do not have access to a sink, it would be safest to wear gloves, strip them off properly and then sanitize, Poland said. Gloves could also subconsciously help you remember to avoid touching your face.

"Even in health care, we only wear gloves when we know that we’re going to be touching something that is a blood or body fluid, or someone’s wound. It’s an extra layer of protection usually used because health care workers are going from patient to patient, so we’re trying to prevent a large amount of contamination from getting on your hands," Maragakis said.

Grocery stores may have separate guidance for employees.

How long will it be before the border opens between the U.S. and Canada for travelers?

– Karen from West Jordan, Utah

Travelers looking to make a trip to Canada will have to wait another 30 days: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday that the U.S.-Canada land border closure has been extended until June 21 to curb COVID-19 infections.

"It was the right thing to further extend by 30 days our closure of the Canada-U.S. border to travelers other than essential services and goods, but we will continue to watch carefully what's happening elsewhere in the world and around us as we make decisions on next steps," Trudeau said in a news conference.

Several big stores have reopened. Isn't it dangerous for us to go into a store to look through and try on clothes?

– Sue from Green Bay, Wisconsin

There haven't been any studies of transmission through clothing, Poland said, but researchers do know that the virus can persist on surfaces for various periods of time.

"At one level, if you're in a community that has a lot of cases, ask yourself if you really need to be buying clothes right now. Why take the risk?" Poland said.

If anything, Poland said he would consider shoes or clothing that does not touch the face or has to be pulled over the head. Clothing that is packaged or has not been opened or tried on would be the best options, Poland said.

But the greatest risk to you inside a store isn't the clothing, experts say.

"The risk of transmission of touching a shirt in a store is less, we believe, than of someone next to you coughing. When you go into a store, there’s likely someone next to you," Rose said.

Is it OK to drive a convertible?  If so should you wear a mask?

– AG from Lake Worth, Florida

Driving in a convertible or with the windows down is low-risk, Poland said. The greater risk is wherever you are driving, and who is in the car with you.

"Could you conceive of some kind of scenario where there was a gentle breezing, a long red light, and the person in front of you hacking away blowing it back at you? Yes, that's possible. But it's not likely," he said.

With warmer weather, is it advisable to open windows for the fresh air, or is it best to keep them closed?

– David from Lansing, New York

At homes, schools, workplaces and stores, the CDC recommends increasing ventilation by opening windows or adjusting air conditioning.

If you live in a house in a suburb setting or a home where your window is located at a safe distance from other windows, then opening up the window to let in fresh air and sunlight is good for your physical and mental health, Poland said.

"If you live in New York City and your next-door neighbor's window is 3 feet away, that's a different story," he said.