So is it ok to go to restaurants that look crowded? Fauci says you shouldn't. Is he telling the truth or just trying to support a point of view? Not trying to drag politics into it with that last question.
Where's the sarcasm tag? What makes you think Dr. Fauci isn't telling the truth?
In seriousness, I received an excellent article on this topic just yesterday. Ignore the exact numbers since it's a scientific model, but at least understand the broad strokes:
The risk of contagion is highest in indoor spaces but can be reduced by applying all available measures to combat infection via aerosols. Here is an overview of the likelihood of infection in three everyday scenarios, based on the safety measures used and the length of exposure
english.elpais.com
In short, willful possible exposure to SAR-CoV2 in a crowded restaurant is not very smart. It's been widely reported that the main driver of transmissions right now (and going into winter) are private gatherings in homes.
European hot spots have shown to be a leading indicator of likely U.S. outcomes. With the worst-hit EU countries now "locking down," you can guess what could be coming to hard hit areas in the U.S. in the weeks ahead; and also what precautions all Americans should take not just to protect themselves but to help their communities. Sadly, knowing human nature and our domestic politics, people will wait for shit to hit the fan first...