A room, a bar and a classroom: how the coronavirus is spread through the air
 

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.

Aerosol transmission of Covid-19: A room, a bar and a classroom: how the coronavirus is spread through the air | Society | EL PAIS in English

And here is an animation of how masks actually work to protect us.
Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How. - The New York Times

I am confused, how is applying aerosols the best way to be safe? Would not being stupid enough to be in an enclosed indoor space with strangers be the best way to make oneself safe from the virus? Perhaps I am missing something????

When of the current major sources of infection has been where family and friends gather. Nobody wearing a mask.

The aerosol transmission is the infected persons respiratory system.

Here is an illustration of how the virus is spread in a bar

Dean Martin & Foster Brooks - The Bar/Brain Surgeon - YouTube

From the OP:
The key words here are "AT PRESENT". I realize that there has been a huge learning curve with this virus but information seems to change so quickly and so drastically that I often don't know what to think.

Last I heard, this virus is not an aerosol. In other words, the droplets are too heavy to hang in the air for any length of time.

Is this new information? I don't see a date on this article. When was this information published?

I've also read that it is almost impossible to contract the virus outdoors when temperatures are above 77 degrees. Has that changed?

Now after months and months of stringent hand washing and using sanitizer, we are told that it's not likely that the virus can be caught by touching surfaces.

I'm not sure what my point is here other than it's very difficult to know what to believe.