Despite CDC warnings, millions of Americans have already boarded flights to head home for the holidays, bucking the COVID-19 risk to be with their families.
Unfortunately, many of those meetings could result in COVID-19 infections. Even if you’re family isn’t flying across the country, you might want to rethink plans with those living a few towns away.
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Canadian Thanksgiving was in mid-October and has been recognized as a catalyst for COVID-19 spread. It’s a little more than a month later, and record caseloads are being reported daily, while much of the country has re-instated lockdown measures.
There is no reason to expect a similar infection spike south of the border won’t occur.
At this point, you might be saying to yourself that a visit with your children or grandchildren is worth the risk. A new survey suggests that one-third of Americans feel that way. But that is often the attitude of people who are yet to be personally affected by a threatening situation.
Will they feel that when a family member, or multiple family members, end up in the hospital? Not likely.
You still have time to rethink your Thanksgiving plans. You can ask your children to stay home and participate in a Zoom call or video chat. Perhaps for a cyber-potluck. If you’ve already got food prepared, consider having your family come pick up their portions or deliver it to their door.
If you’re able to get together in an outdoor space where households can stick to specific tables and commit to wearing masks when not eating, you could potentially pull off a safe atmosphere.
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You can limit risk by encouraging each household to bring their serving spoons and have plenty of hand sanitizer available.
An outdoor Thanksgiving celebration is certainly not an option for everyone. Space and weather are a real luxury here.
Keep in mind that it is highly likely this missed Holiday season is a one-time thing. With vaccines seemingly on the way, there is a chance that families will be able to reconnect to celebrate the holidays next year. Be patient and focus on the future.
Mohan Garikiparithi got his degree in medicine from Osmania University (University of Health Sciences). He practiced clinical medicine for over a decade before he shifted his focus to the field of health communications. During his active practice he served as the head of the Dept. of Microbiology in a diagnostic centre in India. On a three-year communications program in Germany, Mohan developed a keen interest in German Medicine (Homoeopathy), and other alternative systems of medicine. He now advocates treating different medical conditions without the use of traditional drugs. An ardent squash player, Mohan believes in the importance of fitness and wellness.
