Is shopping in stores safe during the pandemic? AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin

Is shopping in stores safe during the pandemic?

There are ways to reduce risk, but advise avoiding it when possible.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fever and can still spread the virus.

The plastic barriers between customers and cashiers also might not block all droplets from an infected person, Weisfuse says. If the air in a store feels stuffy, he says that's a sign of poor ventilation, and you should leave.