When the coronavirus pandemic hit, restaurants found themselves shuttered, hoping to help flatten the curve. Now, they're finding creative ways to keep the customers coming while maintaining a degree of safety.
One of these solutions has come in the form of "dining bubbles," which are essentially clear plastic tents that allow customers to dine outside in their own space, away from other customers.
However, experts have said that the bubbles might not actually be any safer than just eating outdoors. "If you're putting together something that has a roof and four walls outside, it is called an indoor enclosure outside," Gregg Gonsalves, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, told Today.
That said, eating in these bubbles means you're essentially creating the same risks an indoor space offers, putting you in close proximity to others who may have been exposed to the virus.
Dr. Colleen Kraft, associate chief medical officer at Emory University Hospital, said, "I think it's a very similar problem to indoor dining. A lot of these plastic bubbles are possibly more porous than a wall, so maybe more air can circulate, but they are not going to be as safe as a really open-air set up where a breeze can flow and there's lots of air exchange."
Since the bubbles limit air flow, there is still the possibility of transmission inside them.
"The key to outdoor dining is the free flow of air," said Dr. Anne Rimoin, professor of epidemiology at UCLA.
So what's the alternative as the weather gets cooler? Experts say that enclosures that only have one or two walls could block diners from the elements while still maintaining a sense of air flow. Restaurants could also consider outdoor space heaters for their guests.
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