Omicron infection: That’s how high the risk of infection is in everyday life

The Omicron variant is raging in Germany and is driving up the number of infections. Despite 2G-Plus, compulsory masks and hygiene measures, many people become infected in everyday life. According to the Robert Koch Institute, most infections occur in private households and the surrounding area, and many infected people cannot directly trace the location of the infection. But how high is the risk of infection when shopping, in a restaurant, when traveling by train or in the gym, and what should you watch out for?

Risk of infection in the supermarket

The risk of infection in the supermarket is particularly low due to short stay times, mask requirements and little social interaction. According to studies, the probability of becoming infected while shopping is between 0.001 and 0.004 percent.

Tip: If you have corona symptoms, are already infected or are  afraid  of becoming infected, you can  also order groceries  online from some supermarkets for a small surcharge and thus play it safe.

Visiting a restaurant with a high risk of infection

Contagions in the gym: training under omicron

While the risk of infection is particularly low when shopping, it increases sharply when working out in the gym. Due to the stress and increased breathing, infected people emit more aerosols. Poor ventilation, a long stay and training without a mask increase the risk of infection to around 35 percent. This means that slightly more than every third person can become infected with omicron.

Tip:  If you don’t want to get infected in the gym, you should train outside of peak times if possible and reduce the training time. In this way, the risk of infection can be reduced somewhat.

Risk of infection when traveling by train

Studies show that the use of public transport does not pose an increased risk if hygiene measures, mask requirements and 2G rules are observed.

If you want to avoid close contact on buses or trains, you should travel acyclically if possible, i.e. avoid rush hours as much as possible. Employees are also still strongly recommended to work in the home office in order to keep the risk of infection on the way to work low.