Fully vaccinated people are at much lower risk of Covid-19, but unvaccinated people remain unprotected from the ways coronavirus spreads: when someone who is infected with coronavirus coughs or sneezes and others breathe in those droplets, or by virus accumulated in or moving through the air. You can get the virus from contaminated surfaces, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that this isn't a primary mode of transmission. Because theaters are indoors, can involve being near crowds and may be poorly ventilated, being in a theater puts you at higher risk for Covid-19.
The vulnerability of unvaccinated people means that everyone going to a theater needs to take precautions to reduce Covid-19 risk.
"Before entering any type of theater, it's important to also consider what the background rates of disease are within the community, and also the contribution of variants that might be circulating," said Krystal Pollitt, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, and an assistant professor in chemical and environmental engineering at the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science. You can check your city or state's government website to find out what the current rate of coronavirus spread is in your area and whether your local government has restrictions on theaters.
"You're not able to open up the doors and windows in those particular cases, so if you can avoid those large crowds, then I would definitely do so," said Dr. Ada Stewart, a family physician with Cooperative Health in Columbia, South Carolina, and the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Avoiding coronavirus in theaters
Call the theater or check its website to find out what protocols it has in place, such as whether the theater requires wearing masks at all times, said CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. You may have to make a reservation and check in online.
"Also, look at capacity and specifically the space," she added. "A theater that's in a small room with low ceilings (is) very different from a large theater with very high ceilings and good ventilation. So, look to see what kind of protocols they have for physical distancing. Ideally, there is at least 6-feet distance between you and other individuals. If that's not able to be done, I wouldn't go unless you're vaccinated."
Stay at least 6 feet away from people in other areas of the theater, such as the lobby, as well. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before and after you enter the theater. Ask the staff whether they regularly clean the theaters, but also bring sanitizing wipes to clean things such as seat arms if needed.
Popcorn, sodas and other snacks are standards of the moviegoing experience, but not during the pandemic. "You're not able to do the things that you normally would, such as eating popcorn or eating a meal, without removing your mask," said Regina Davis Moss, the associate executive director of health policy and practice at the American Public Health Association.
If you do, "there is a potential exposure," she added. "To the extent that you can, I would limit eating food there."
"I would feel better in a theater that does not allow food or drink," Wen said, "because then people will have a better chance of keeping their mask on the whole time."
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April 15, 2021 at 10:37PM
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