Despite the holidays coming up, COVID-19 is still a very prevalent threat as cases continue to increase daily in the United States. As such, it is important that you continue to follow guidelines from the Center for Disease Control during Thanksgiving to protect yourself and those you love from the virus. In this article, I will relay to you information from the CDC website regarding suggested guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19 during this holiday season.
- Don’t gather together with anyone apart from your immediate family.
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I know it may be tempting to gather with friends or distant family members, but you don’t know where your friends or distant family members have been and/or whether or not they’ve been social distancing. While there is always a risk living with your immediate family in the same house, the risk of contraction only increases as you encounter a greater number of people. For example, there may be college kids coming home from school who may have been exposed to COVID-19 on campus or on the flight home. This same narrative applies to anyone who may be attending your planned Thanksgiving. Always take caution and keep in mind that you don’t know whether someone has been exposed to COVID-19 before/during their journey to your house.
- Everyone should get tested before a small gathering.
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Although it is not suggested, if you insist on meeting with friends or distant family members this Thanksgiving in a small setting, it would be best for everyone to get tested for COVID-19 prior to and after gathering. Obviously anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should stay home, and it would be best for their immediate family members to stay home as well in order to ensure maximum safety.
- Do not gather in spaces with poor ventilation.
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One of the most dangerous places you can be during this pandemic is in a poorly ventilated room with other people. Although increased air flow does not eliminate the possibility of contracting COVID-19, it poses less of a threat than a closed-off room with stagnant air. Thus, if you do insist on having a small gathering, it would be best to eat outdoors.
- Shorten the length of your Thanksgiving meeting.
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The math is simple: the longer you are exposed to other individuals, the greater your risk of contracting COVID-19. The CDC says, “Being within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more greatly increases the risk of becoming sick and requires a 14-day quarantine.” Although Thanksgiving gatherings usually last hours and it may be sad to only be able to visit your friends and extended family for such a short period of time, you might just be saving their life. I don’t know about you, but I would rather be able to visit my family member or friend anytime for the rest of their life than meet with them for an hour on Thanksgiving and never be able to see them again.
- Exchange meals with your friends and distant family members instead of eating together.
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If your family and friends decide to go the safest route and not gather, you might still want to exchange signature dishes with each other. If this is the case, wear a mask, meet at a designated (ventilated) spot, and simply swap meals. Make sure you keep a distance of six feet as often as you can during this transition and do not gather for more than 15 minutes.
Once again, the pandemic doesn’t pause for the holiday season. As with everything during this pandemic, we must sacrifice luxuries and traditions in order to protect those we love and ourselves. Stay safe during this holiday season — wear a mask and socially distance!