The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the way we live and shop.

This allowed at-risk shoppers to pick up their necessities in a less crowded environment.

The service began as a twice-weekly convenience and was soon changed to accommodate every weekday.

Costco storefront

Has this accommodation made a real difference in protecting at-risk shoppers?

Not everyone is sure about that.

Another expert, Bettina Fries, is the chief of Stony Brook Medicine’s infectious disease division.

Shoppers lining up outside Costco