Name: Pedestrians complain runners are passing too close on Chicago sidewalks during the pandemic. How risky is that, and should they wear face masks?
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Pedestrians complain runners are passing too close on Chicago sidewalks during the pandemic. How risky is that, and should they wear face masks?

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AdvertisementBy Chicago TribuneApr 22, 2020 at 2:03 pmWhen pedestrians venture outside and try to keep their distance, there’s one encounter that seems unavoidable in some Chicago neighborhoods: Runners, attempting to squeeze by on narrow sidewalks, are getting too close for comfort.Lincoln Park Ald. Michele Smith said “hundreds” of residents have contacted her about the problem since the coronavirus pandemic took hold last month. Normally, joggers are welcome in Smith’s North Side ward, a popular spot because of its proximity to the Lakefront Trail and adjoining parks. But with many of those routes off limits, people looking to exercise outdoors have few places to go.Advertisement“The single biggest complaint that I received in my office since this is all happening is about runners — that when someone tries to walk down the sidewalk, runners would get too close and whiz by and touch people, and of course, the runners are exerting themselves,” Smith said last week.Smith submitted an ordinance Wednesday proposing that everyone over age 2 be required to wear a mask or cloth face cover in public. With runners in particular, she said she worries that, while breathing heavily, they might be spewing infectious droplets.AdvertisementWhile a recent study supports her concerns by documenting that secretions from runners or fast walkers can be expelled up to 15 feet behind them, critics note the findings have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal and did not specifically examine the coronavirus.Like many burgeoning questions related to COVID-19, there are few definitive answers on the topic, but doctors say they don’t see any evidence that runners are more likely to spread the coronavirus than anyone else. In fact, some doctors said, people feeling healthy enough to exercise, if infected, are probably not giving off large doses of the virus. Even if an asymptomatic carrier was running outside, the risk of transmitting the illness would be low if the person was not coughing, sneezing or otherwise creating a trail of germs.“We don’t think that one little virion ― which is the word for a single virus particle ― is enough to make you sick,” said Dr. Emily Landon, who leads infection prevention and control at the University of Chicago Medical Center. “There’s usually what’s called an inoculating dose. We don’t know what it is for COVID-19, but based on what it is for other coronaviruses, it’s got to be more than what you are going to get just running past someone.”Still, Landon said she recommends that runners use cloth face coverings when they step outside, as an extra precaution, if exercising in a dense, urban area. It’s especially important, she said, for runners to wear cloth masks if they stop into a grocery store or another business, where airflow is more constricted, just after finishing a workout.Dr. Susan Bleasdale, medical director of infection control at the University of Illinois Hospital &amp; Health Sciences System, agreed it’s unlikely that runners would transmit the coronavirus during brief encounters outside, such as passing someone on the street or sidewalk.Viral particles released in the open air, Bleasdale explained, are going to quickly drop to the ground because of their weight and become diluted by the wind and other elements. Since COVID-19 is spread most effectively in close quarters and by people exhibiting symptoms, runners who are trying to avoid direct contact pose a low risk, Bleasdale said.“There are some people," Bleasedale said, “who are suggesting you have to maintain a quarter-mile distance behind a runner because if they have virus, then it could be suspended in air and have an impact on someone at great distance behind them. That is really unlikely because of all of these factors: the low amount of virus on someone who is able to go running, the dilution in the air and that any droplets would likely fall to the ground.”AdvertisementSince the beginning of the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has defined close contact as coming within 6 feet of someone with COVID-19 for a “prolonged period of time,” according to its website. While the agency has not mandated that everyone wear a face covering in public, it has encouraged people to do so, and including Skokie and Glenview, are now requiring it. , however, don’t apply to outdoor activities such as running and biking, if 6 feet of separation can be maintained.In the city, though, running has become more complicated. At first, local organizations called off group runs and told members to exercise alone. And for a time, that seemed to work well: With ample space on the city’s 18.5-mile Lakefront Trail, runners had room for uninterrupted strides on the wide, paved paths.But a string of warm days at the end of last month changed the game. After groups of people flocked to the Lakefront Trail, She explicitly called out runners, saying, "Outside is for a brief respite, not for 5Ks.” Her order also closed all connecting beaches and parks.Since then, police can often be seen stationed at the Lakefront Trail’s various entrances and wooden barriers have been erected. Police have also warned they will issue citations if people violate the order. have headed into quiet neighborhoods to log their miles. It’s become common to see people running in the middle of empty streets or bike lanes, now free from traffic, to create space from pedestrians on the sidewalk. Some runners go early in the morning or at night.Buena Park resident Shawna Ohm said she’s not sure where she’s allowed to exercise, even though she plans her runs for off hours and keeps her distance. While she had been running and walking her dog in the Lincoln Park area without any issues, new fencing was erected around the sprawling lawns just west of Lake Shore Drive last week.AdvertisementThe Chicago Park District contends the area had been closed since Lightfoot’s order and that it installed barriers to ramp up enforcement. But Ohm, who has relocated her activities to areas north of Montrose Avenue and the forest preserves, said the changes were confusing and came with no warning.“You’re inevitably being put in far too close of quarters with people,” she said about being pushed out of the park. “I do appreciate that the city is in a tough position. And I support them closing the lakefront and I support them doing what they need to do. My frustration more is that (the added fencing) came up overnight.”To help joggers navigate the evolving situation, the Chicago Area Runners Association has on what it considers best practices during the pandemic. After Smith reached out to CARA with her concerns, the group joined her in asking that runners wear cloth face coverings in the city, according to Executive Director Greg Hipp. CARA is also recommending that runners begin their routes from home instead of driving to a park to start their workouts because that could lead to overcrowding at popular spots.Runners don’t need medical-grade masks such as the coveted N-95s that should be reserved for health care workers, Hipp said. They can use a circular accessory known as a “buff,” which has light, moisture-wicking fabric, or other household items like bandannas or neck warmers.“Those who have to run in the city and aren’t able to get away from crowded sidewalks, we think it’s the right move right now,” Hipp said. “Certainly there are some places where people can run where they are not going to come into contact with others, and in that case, there isn’t any evidence that a mask is necessary.”One potential solution would be closing streets to traffic and making more room for pedestrians, runners and cyclists. Though cities such as Boston, Minneapolis and Oakland have chosen to do so in recent weeks,AdvertisementSmith reiterated that sentiment, saying she’d rather ban running all together if people cannot follow social distancing guidelines. Some European countries, including Italy and Spain, went that route as their number of infections spiked.“This is a public health emergency,” Smith said. “Everybody needs to modify their behavior. People are staying home in their houses for weeks at a time.”At the same time, doctors and mental health professionals alike have stressed the benefits of getting fresh air and exercise during the stay-at-home order that is largely making residents more sedentary than normal. With routines such as commuting to work and going to the gym being disrupted, some say it’s imperative to carve out some time for cardiovascular activity.“The act of running and biking and exercising is really important right now as people are not doing their regular activities and need to stay healthy and active," Bleasdale said. “We want to make sure you are conscious and trying to avoid close contact with people, and we can’t have everyone running along Lake Shore Drive, but you have to make sure that you find ways to get exercise.”Chicago Tribune’s Morgan Greene contributed.echerney@chicagotribune.com Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Chicago TribuneApr 22, 2020 at 2:03 pmWhen pedestrians venture outside and try to keep their distance, there’s one encounter that seems unavoidable in some Chicago neighborhoods: Runners, attempting to squeeze by on narrow sidewalks, are getting too close for comfort.Lincoln Park Ald. Michele Smith said “hundreds” of residents have contacted her about the problem since the coronavirus pandemic took hold last month. Normally, joggers are welcome in Smith’s North Side ward, a popular spot because of its proximity to the Lakefront Trail and adjoining parks. But with many of...

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Elyssa Cherney

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Pedestrians complain runners are passing too close on Chicago sidewalks during the pandemic. How risky is that, and should they wear face masks?

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