RELATED: This Type of Mask Won’t Protect You From COVID Right Now, New Study Says. According to experts, moving activities outdoors may cut down risk, but it’s not a foolproof way to prevent becoming infected. “Simply put, when we are outside there is more air to disperse the virus and reduce its concentration,” Lisa M. Lee, PhD, associate vice president for research and innovation and a research professor of population health sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, told Men’s Health. “However, if you are face to face with someone, breathing in the breath that they are exhaling—even if you are outside—you are at greater risk.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Lee points out that depending on the activity, your chances of contracting the virus can vary greatly—especially depending on how you may be breathing. “If you are standing around a wide-open soccer field or walking in the same direction as others, the risk is much lower,” she said. “[But] remember that when working out, we breathe more heavily, exhaling more air with more force, which means more virus in the air if you or your workout partner is infected.” As a result, some experts say reverting to other familiar pandemic health precautions might be a good idea in certain situations. “Given the cases of outdoors transmission that have occurred, it would also be wise to practice distancing outdoors as well and consider wearing a mask if not able to maintain six feet of distance,” Beth K. Thielen, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of pediatrics in the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota, told Men’s Health. RELATED: If You’re Over 65, You Shouldn’t Go Here Right Now, CDC Warns. A mounting body of evidence that the Delta variant can spread outside has led some health officials to enact outdoor mask mandates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recently updated their guidance to suggest that while moving activities outside remains a much safer choice, it’s still advisable to maintain six feet of distance between people and wear a mask whenever social distancing isn’t possible. “We are seeing transmission in crowded outdoor settings,” Kris Ehresmann, infectious disease director for Minnesota, told The Star Tribune. “With Delta, when we have large groups of people together, that can be problematic. That is why [the] CDC is responding to what we are learning with this change and recommending masking in crowded outdoor settings.” RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. But while breakthrough infections are still possible, experts maintain that getting vaccinated remains the best way to protect yourself from the Delta variant. “This is the most important precaution you can take to protect yourself and those around you, as vaccinated people are about 25 times less likely to get sick if they get the Delta variant, in addition to being less likely to get infected at all,” Lee told Men’s Health. “If you live in an area with high rates of COVID-19 cases, layer your protection—start with a vaccine and add a mask and physical distance as you interact with others whose vaccination status is unknown and as the size of [any] crowd increases.” RELATED: Virus Experts Have Stopped Going to These 4 Places as Delta Surges.
