Jackson County Public Health urges outdoor over indoor activities

Health office Dr. Jim Shames shares his tips to protect against coronavirus as people increasingly gather together.

For you- this is newswatch 12 at 5 with brian morton, alicia rubin, and stormwatch 12 weather with chief meteorologist matt hoffman."

Our region has several new coronavirus cases today.

Plus there's a lot to track when it comes to preventative measures.

Joining us once again is dr. jim shames medical director for jackson county.

Thanks for being with us and to be here.

Now, i notice you're outside today.

I guess that's not by mistake.

What can you tell us about being outside and staying safe at the same time?

So i just wanted to illustrate the fact that that many of the things we're used to doing indoors, we can do out of doors.

And there's increasing evidence that when you're outside, certainly if you're unmasked close to other people, talking that you greatly reduce the likelihood of transmitting and receiving covid.

So i wanted to illustrate that i could do an interview outdoors and that people just rethink.

Parties gatherings, you know, meetings, greetings and, and trying while the weather is good to do the amount of doors to reduce the risk of catching covid in the process.

What are we learning about?

Why might be a so more dangerous to be indoors than it is to be outdoors?

Well, we've always had suspicion that this disease might be spread by aerosols.

And for the most part we reduced, we were thinking that wasn't very common and increasingly we're thinking it might be quite common.

What that means is much of the transmission occurs with large droplets that come out of my mouth.

When i talk, they go three, four, five, six feet away from me, fall to the ground.

It looks as if some of that virus is going to be in tiny little droplets that float in the air, like an aerosol and can float in the air for great distances and remain airborne for long periods of time.

Granted, it's not as much virus, but if you're an enclosed space with air recirculating, people continuing to talk, being close together, um, it increases your risk of getting the virus out of doors.

Aerosols, just kind of float off and, and, and aren't a problem.

Well, osha today made some announcements about josephine county bars and restaurants.

Not necessarily being in compliance with a mask ordinance.

What kind of a risk does something like that pose for people in jackson county?

Well, the two counties do an awful lot of commerce together.

Any risk in one county becomes a risk for the other.

We certainly seen that with parties where people from both counties have come together and, and sort of share the good news on both sides of the border.

Uh, it's of concern it's of concern when it happens anywhere.

Um, um, i'm hoping that people will get the message and, and increase their, their