Airbnbs are safer than hotels right now

[Pat271]

Hello All,

     Here is an interesting article from CBS Marketwatch explaining how Airbnbs are safer than hotels during this pandemic. So odd that many states and cities seem to have the opposite viewpoint.  Hawaii, for instance, will allow non-essential visitors to quarantine at hotels, but not at short-term rentals.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/we-need-to-balance-sanity-and-risk-is-it-safer-to-stay-at-a-hotel-...

Pat

[Linda108]

Interesting article, @Pat271 , but it appears to be the opinion of someone who is not exactly neutral researcher.  There is no way to actually prove what is being stated.  While Air BNB has cleaning protocols, there is no way to prove that the host did that.   Good points made about selecting accommodations with reduced closed space contact, however.

[Pat271]

@Linda108  Here is the important quoted reference from the article:

For the same reason, Russo recommends staying at an Airbnb or Airbnb equivalent over a hotel. “In a hotel, it’s inevitable that you’ll have more interactions than at an Airbnb,” he said.

Thomas Russo is the Chief of the Division of Infectious Disease at the University at Buffalo.  Just curious...why do you consider him not a neutral researcher?

[Emilia42]

From a social distancing aspect, yes. But in reality, it doesn't take much to be cautious of others when walking through a hotel lobby. It's not like anyone is forcing you to stand there.

From a cleaning aspect, absolutely not. At least this is my experience in the 5 stars rated Airbnb I've stayed in.

[Gordon0]

Couldn't agree more, @Emilia42. Can't ever remember (bar one) an Airbnb that's been 'sparkling clean' as the blurb would have you believe.

[Pat271]

@Linda108  Right, it’s just common sense that interfacing with multiple people, passing them in hallways, and living densely crammed together in side-by-side rooms is more likely to cause spread.  I don‘t need “proof” to come to that conclusion.  Also, the WHO and CDC state that close personal contact is by far the predominant way the virus is being spread, and they specifically point out that hard surface transfer is unlikely.  Maybe they don’t have “proof” of this either, but again, it is common sense.  

The preference for hotels by some state and city officials is still baffling, though - makes no sense at all.  I can’t help but suspect that the powerful hotel lobby is driving these decisions.

[Helen350]

This has been my argument since Day 1 @Pat271 !