COVID-19 & Risk Calculations Three Social Factors Staying safe from COVID-19 requires weighing different risks based on the situation. Risk isn’t binary.  
 
[A continuum of risk, depicted by a thin rectangle with a gradient from white to dark grey, appears on the screen with lower written on the left-hand side and higher written on the right-hand side.] 
 
Thinking about a spectrum of risk can help you choose the lowest-risk options for socializing that will be sustainable for you.  You can think about everyday risks in terms of 3 factors.  
 
Interactions. Distance. Duration. [these three words appear in a Venn diagram of three overlapping circles] Interaction: how many people are you interacting with & how frequently? Distance: how physically close are you to others? Duration: how long are your interactions? Interactions & Risk  Interactions refer to the number of people you interact with and the frequency of those interactions.  Risk is higher if you are meeting with people you don’t live with, particularly if you don’t know where they have been in the last 2 weeks.  Distance & Risk  Whenever you are fewer than 6 feet away from people, your risk increases, especially if you’re indoors or people aren’t wearing masks.  Duration & Risk The longer the interaction, the higher the risk. Are you passing someone in a hallway? Or having an extended encounter or conversation? Considering these 3 factors in the course of our normal daily activities and behaviors can help you assess the level of risk involved.