The biggest thing to remember before venturing forth: Many people spreading the virus appear perfectly healthy, so a strategy of simply avoiding people who look sick won’t work.
Some studies have found that anywhere from 44% to 62% of people infected with the disease got it from someone who hadn’t yet -- or never did -- show symptoms.
That’s why mask-wearing, good ventilation with outside air and staying as far away as you can from others – ideally well over the 6 feet recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- are all crucial, says Richard Corsi, a Portland State University dean who has been researching airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus.
“Nine feet is a lot better than 6 feet, 12 feet is better than 9 feet. There’s no magic shield that goes up when you get 6 feet away from a person,” said Corsi, who also is president of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate.
The Oregonian/OregonLive asked Corsi and other experts about the safety of going out in Oregon today. Here’s what they -- and the latest body of scientific studies -- say about going outdoors:
Experts say the outdoors are generally very safe -- and exercising in them is great for mental and physical health.
The one big caveat is that if other people are nearby, you should keep your physical distance. That includes while passing people on trails even if it’s just for a moment.
A packed stretch of beach or parkland is still best avoided.
Over roughly the past week, many beaches, parks and business districts along the Oregon coast reopened to visitors -- including Seaside, Cannon Beach and Jessie Honeyman State Park.
Silver Falls State Park also opened its hiking trails. Some federal recreational areas in Oregon, including in the Deschutes and Willamette national forests, also are welcoming the public again.
But in light of the long Memorial Day weekend, state officials have asked residents not to travel more than 50 miles from home, in hopes of preventing people from counties with higher infection rates from crowding into communities with lower ones.
There’s no word yet if that request will still be in effect come summer.
Some Oregon state campgrounds are scheduled to reopen June 9.
Read The Oregonian/OregonLive’s full guide to reopening.