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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I would go when no one else is there, and sanitize my kids' hands afterward.  Spread from surfaces is not a major source of transmission. [/quote]

From limited contact tracing we have, we don't see much surface transmission.  But kids have been pretty isolated, and adults have been drilled to sanitize their hands and not touch their face.

Once kids start interacting on shared surfaces, we will better understand the real risk.  I do think that we won't see the virus living for 3 days on metal in the sun; but on the shady side of the monkey bars?  It could definitely last at least a day.

The risk is a weighted combination of how widespread it is in your community (likelihood that an infected kid was ON the playground at all), how soon after you interact with the same equipment for any shaded portions, and the likelihood your kid will touch their face after touching that surface.

Right now, we believe from our somewhat limited testing that it is not widespread, but once it starts increasing than the likelihood that someone touched the equipment right before your kid goes way up.

Then it comes down to if your kid is really good about not touching their face.  If they touch surfaces, don't touch face and then sanitize after, it is very low risk.

For me, my kids can't be trusted to not wipe their nose or rub their face while playing, and since we are high risk, we are treating everyone as potentially infected, so the risk combination isn't great for a shared playground.

If you are young parents in good health and not too worried about COVID (you go grocery shopping, get takeout, maybe dine outside at restaurant, have socially distanced meetups with friends), then playgrounds are likely very similar risk, maybe even lower risk than grocery shopping for instance.  If everyone is wearing masks at the playground, that would help a great deal -- provided kids aren't fiddling with them all the time which may actually increase risk.

So not an easy answer, but on the spectrum of risk, its not far above other common activities people are doing.[/quote]

One more point, I am very skeptical of the low risk of surface transmission, since they CONTINUE to drill in "WASH YOUR HANDS". [/quote]

There is no evidence that surface transmission is a significant risk with this particular virus.  But we don't know that it's zero risk, and washing your hands frequently is just basic good hygiene, and will certainly help prevent other diseases.  [/quote]

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