COVID-19 can easily be spread from person to person during traditional holiday activities such as shared meals and large family gatherings indoors. The 3 c’s of COVID-19 danger: crowds, closed environments, and close contact will be a huge factor in having another surge due to the holiday season. What is the good news then?
The good news is that there are still plenty of reduced-risk activities for family and friends to enjoy. There are many aspects to think about when planning for the holidays:
- Stay home if you are not feeling well. If you have symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19, seek medical advice at your local physician’s office or by virtual visit.
( https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html )
- Symptoms of COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Emergency signs of COVID-19– Seek emergency medical care immediately:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to walk or stay awake
- Bluish lips or face
- Think outside the box for holiday gatherings. If family or friends can’t join physically, try setting up a family and friends video chat. This can be a safe and enjoyable way to spend the holidays. You can suggest everyone to share recipes ahead of time so you are all eating the same things and also have the laptops on the table so you can “eat together.” Having a virtual game night is a fun alternative to in-person gatherings. Another option can be participating in sports like tennis, volleyball and golf which can be played in small groups and allow for exercise and quality time with family or friends outdoors.
- Host a safer holiday gathering. If you do plan to have a holiday gathering, it is important to lower the risk of spreading COVID-19 by following the suggestions below:
- Keep the guest list short. Gatherings with more people pose a higher risk than ones with less people and it is also important to take into account if you have any vulnerable attendees.
- It is important to assess if your guests’ behavior in the few weeks prior to your gathering has been “high risk” such as if they have been at large parties indoors. Having an open and honest discussion with them prior to the gathering will help to ensure you and your guests are on the same page on keeping everyone safe.
- Ask your guests to complete a 14-day quarantine before attending or get COVID-19 tested beforehand.
- Skip hugs, kisses and handshakes.
- Avoid close contact by asking for everyone to stand and sit 6 ft apart from each other.
- Consider using disposable plates, flatware and napkins.
- Consider having the meal/ gathering outdoors, if possible. If not, keep windows open to increase circulation.
- Have everyone wear masks when they are not eating.
- Ask everyone to frequently wash their hands and use paper towels instead of a shared towel.
- Give your guests a list of the rules prior to attending.
- Plan ahead when it comes to grocery and supply shopping: Stores of all kinds will be very busy during the holiday season. It is important to anticipate this and try to avoid them by buying online from the store, during curbside pickup, going into the store at non-peak hours and try to stay 6 ft from other shoppers.
Remembering these aspects will help ensure a safer holiday season for everyone. It is important to care not only for ourselves but our loved ones and our community as a whole!