Steps You Can Take To Stay Safe During Trick Or Treating

Steps You Can Take To Stay Safe During Trick Or Treating

By Emma Dowell, Reporter

Now we all have been wondering how this trick or treating season is going to be. Many parents are wondering if they should let their child take part in the annual activity. Parents are worried that their children are going to be exposed to numerous people and germs. However, little do they know that there are some steps you can take to stay as safe as possible. 

 

So the most obvious but important step in staying safe is wearing a mask. You need to wear this at all times when people are around who don’t live in your household to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. According to, “The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention” states, “Masks are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the mask coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice. This is called source control. This recommendation is based on what we know about the role respiratory droplets play in the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, paired with emerging evidence from clinical and laboratory studies that shows masks reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth.” Given the information, this gives a clear and concise answer that masks should in fact be worn to ensure the safety of not only you and your child, but everyone around as well. Also, take into consideration that you should avoid singing, chanting, or shouting, especially when not wearing a mask and within 6 feet of others. 

 

To add on, another step you can take to stay as safe as possible is to limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items. According to, “Does Corona Live on Objects?” states, “The coronavirus can live for hours to days on surfaces like countertops and doorknobs. How long it survives depends on the material the surface is made from.” This is a huge to remember while trick or treating. The instinct that comes to us is to touch things like a doorbell or door knob, but we have to consider that we have no idea who has touched these objects. As a result, we need to take this into deep consideration. For parents, use touchless garbage cans if available. Use gloves when removing garbage bags or handling and disposing trash. Then, wash hands after removing the gloves. 

 

Another step to consider while trick or treating is to keep safe around food and drinks. Currently, there is no evidence to support that Corona can spread while eating food. It is possible however that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object, including food, food packaging, or utensils that have the virus on it and then touching their body. This could spread by putting your hands on your face, nose, or possibly their eyes. According to, “Mayo Clinic” states, “There’s no evidence of anyone contracting the virus that causes COVID-19 after touching food containers and food packaging. Many restaurants are now offering no-contact takeout and delivery to lessen the risk of transmission. Still, if you’re concerned, it’s reasonable to follow general food safety guidelines. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water after handling takeout containers, and then transfer food to a clean dish using clean utensils. Wash your hands again before eating. After disposing of containers, clean and disinfect any surfaces that had takeout containers on them.” Although there is no direct evidence to support that COVID-19 could spread through food and drinks it is good to remember that it is always important to follow good hygiene practices to reduce the risk of illness from common foodborne germs. 

 

To conclude, trick or treating may have seemed like it would never happen, but if you take steps to ensure your safety you could see yourself getting some candy!!! COVID-19 is a very serious disease, but it can be prevented as long as you realize the severity and take measures that will benefit you. Trust me, if you take these precautions you will see yourself saying, “Trick or Treat!!”