Can my kids go back to playing sports or doing other group activities outdoors? Should they take any particular precautions?
Dr. Omer: It depends on the activity. I think for most activities they can remove the mask right now. This might change if theres a change in infection rates.
Dr. Smith: This will also depend on local levels of spread. This should be fairly safe in general, but any extended time in close contact with others, even outdoors, can increase risk.
Dr. Moody: Any child with cold or flu symptoms should not be participating, period. With that assumption, I would say that outdoor sports and activities dont pose a huge risk, but that masking should be maintained if exertion levels permit. As with everything else, nothing is zero risk.
Is it safe for my kids to participate in indoor sports or activities, like basketball or indoor swimming? What can they do to stay safe?
Dr. Smith: I would look at local levels of spread and the size and ventilation of indoor locations. A very large location with good airflow, like a gymnasium with fans and open doors and a small number of people, would be less risky than a small workout room with minimal ventilation and lots of people. Masks are still recommended if indoors.
Dr. Moody: For indoor sports and activities, I would recommend masking as much as possible, recognizing that some activities like swimming are impractical. Where masking isnt feasible, distancing is helpful. For sports like basketball which cannot be done without close contact, the team culture will probably dictate the risk, but things like masking while on the bench can help.
Like school, summer camps are filled with mostly unvaccinated kids, but many activities are outdoors. Is there any way my kids can safely go to summer camp?
Dr. Omer: Yes, as long as they wear a mask indoors. Its always a good idea to encourage outside activities anyway in these situations.
Dr. Smith: An outdoor day camp would be less risky than an extended overnight camp, with large groups of kids from different areas crowded into bunks together. Ask the camps what mitigation measures they have in place, if meals would be outdoors or inside in a crowded cafeteria, and what happens during rainy days.
Dr. Moody: In general, I think summer camps appear to be pretty safe based both on data from last summer and what we are seeing this summer. This is a situation where the child development benefits are huge, and so Im really in favor of kids going to camps so long as some degree of masking and distancing can be maintained. Having the activities in well-ventilated and outdoor spaces certainly helps.
Can kids safely go into crowded indoor areas like movie theaters or childrens gyms, as long as they wear a mask?
Dr. Omer: If youre unvaccinated its not a great idea to do these super-crowded activities. For the vaccinated, its perfectly fine, but I would still recommend wearing a mask if you dont know everyones vaccination status.
Dr. Smith: The CDC puts crowded indoor activities as their highest-risk category (least safe), which includes movie theaters. Risk can be reduced if everyone is masked, but space and ventilation are also key. I know some movie theaters are renting out spaces for private movies; perhaps something like this could be done instead.
Dr. Moody: Its all about balancing risks. For indoor venues, its all about density. Low-density indoor activities where people are masked are higher risk than not going, but lower risk than if the venue is packed.
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3 Experts on What Unvaccinated Kids CanAnd CantDo Safely These Days - Self
