A study carried out by the University London College (UCL) in the United Kingdom has yielded more than interesting results on when and in what way coronavirus infections occur outside the home. The work, titled ‘Virus Watch Study: Non-household activities COVID risk, 20 December 2021‘, has analyzed the cases of 10,000 people who have tested positive in recent weeks to find common ground about their situation.
In this way, the study, which still lacks peer review (evaluation of the work carried out by one or more people with skills similar to those of the job developers), put different places and activities under the spotlight in which the increase in coronavirus infection is greater, being supermarkets, or rather the action of going to buy at establishments, the activity with the highest risk of contagion, with a 2.18% chance.
“Both in periods of intense restrictions and in periods without restrictions, purchases represented the highest percentage of infections acquired (by COVID-19) outside the home,” explains the study, which also points to other spaces or actions that lead to an increased risk of contagion. Such is the case of practicing outdoor sport (1,36%), eat in a restaurant or cafeteria (1.29%), use the public transport more than once a week (1.28%), go to a fiesta (1.27%), play sports indoors (1.27%) or go to work (1,2%).
In contrast, there was no clear evidence “of an increased risk from attending indoor cinemas, theaters, concerts or sporting events.” Although they need to be reviewed, the results presented by the UCL study indicate the need to not lower our guard against the virus outside our homes, although the epidemiological situation in our area appears to be stable and with little danger, since the tables can change in a short time. It is especially important to take this into account in Spain.
Why? Because on the last day, our country notified more than 292,000 new infections registered since Friday, with a cumulative incidence that shot up to a new record: almost 3,000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. To this must also be added the number of deaths, which continues to grow and this Monday surpassed the barrier of 90,000 since the beginning of the health crisis, and the situation in hospitals, whose healthcare pressure grows again seriously during this sixth wave (especially by omicron).
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
