Halloween is just a few days away, which mean many parents have been grappling with whether or not to let their kids trick-or-treat.
Dr. Rebecca Curran, a staff physician with Lourdes Physician Group, said this year may not be the best time to hand out those homemade treats; or attend that Halloween party.
She said, if you choose to participate, leave candy in a bowl or on a table for kids to grab.
Curran said, while there is still much debate out there, odds of someone getting COVID by simply touching a service is slim.
"There's a little bit of danger from touching," Curran said. "It is absolutely not the number one problem. Especially, if you're being careful with hand washing. We're much more worried about breathing it in and touching your face. If people are diligent about hand washing they can cut that risk down quite a bit."
Dr. Curran suggested that parents have hand sanitizer on hand while out and about.
She also suggested trick-or-treating at the homes of people you know. She said, that way, you know if they have the same set of standards as your family when it comes to protecting against Covid-19.
On top of Trick-or-Treating, Curran said that people should make sure to have the proper face-coverings when they are in large groups.
"We're worried about the droplets coming out of people's mouths," Curran said. "If you scream that probably goes a little farther. A couple of good things to think about in general for safety: Further away is better than closer, outside if better than inside, and talking softly is better than loudly. Of course, we want the kids to have fun and scream--just be conscious where we're doing that."
Curran said this is probably not a good year for haunted houses. She said some people are doing a haunted forest, which is outdoors and lowers the risk of getting COVID.
She said some families are even doing a scavenger haunt (hunt), which is also another good suggestion if you want to partake in the Halloween fun and do it safely.
