This App Helps Calculate the COVID-19 Risk of Activities Outside Your House

How risky is it to go to a grocery store during the pandemic? Is going over to a friend’s house with just a few people really that unsafe? How much safer is a backyard gathering instead? What about a quick haircut?

We’ve been making decisions about what’s safe throughout the pandemic to reduce the risk of getting or spreading COVID-19. Always wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet apart and stay home as much as possible.

But if you do go out, your COVID-19 risk depends on where you live, your health, what you’re going and how many people around you follow public health guidance. As case counts in your community get higher or lower, your risk levels also change.

Luckily, Lifespan and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University collaborated with emergency doctors to create a cool app that helps you understand your COVID-19 risk any time you leave your house.

To “know your risk,” you’ll be asked to confirm a few questions and then enter your location. (The app is only available for users in the United States.) You’ll be asked if you’re going to an indoor or outdoor activity, and then it asks you to specify the type of activity (backyard gathering, grocery shopping, etc.).

After adding some additional details, the calculator will let you know the COVID-19 risk level of any activity, from very low risk to very high risk. If your activity is high risk, the calculator also walks you through ways to lower your risk, like wearing a different type of mask, social distancing or reducing your time at the location.

Want to know your COVID-19 risk?

Try the COVID-19 Risk Calculator Here