L A Times Is Sharing Food at Korean Barbecue Safe Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 15 July 2021 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles L A Times Is Sharing Food at Korean Barbecue Safe The risk of transmitting COVID-19 during family-style meals-where everyone is sharing food-is low for fully vaccinated people, say Cedars-Sinai experts. Photo by Getty Images. Comedian Sherry Cola and Los Angeles Times reporter Ada Tseng recently sat down for Korean barbecue with Cedars-Sinai infectious disease specialist Catherine Le, MD, to discuss dining at restaurants again as the pandemic eases. Tseng featured the conversation in a Times series about how to safely enjoy a night out in L.A.'s Koreatown neighborhood after the reopening of California businesses last month. Cola and Tseng sought Le's help assessing their risk for catching the virus that causes COVID-19 when eating at a restaurant given that masks and other safety measures are now optional and many diners in L.A. are now vaccinated. Le told Cola and Tseng that the risk of transmitting COVID-19 during family-style meals-where everyone is sharing food-is low for fully vaccinated people. "If I'm with friends and I know everybody's vaccination status, I'm fine with communal eating," said Le, who is co-director of the Cedars-Sinai COVID-19 Recovery Program. Diners should check community vaccination rates and prevalence of COVID-19 in the area to better assess their risk, Le said. She added that asking for serving utensils, or serving from communal dishes with the ends of chopsticks that are not used for eating, can add a layer of protection. "Especially within the Asian community, food is such a communal thing," Le told Cola and Tseng. "Everything's family style. I think that we're just a little bit more conscious about small decisions that we make." Le offered similar advice about safely navigating spas, a karaoke bar and a comedy show in Koreatown in other parts of the L.A. Times series. Click here for the complete story and video on restaurant dining and here for the whole series from the L.A. Times. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release L A Times Is Sharing Food at Korean Barbecue Safe Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home