November 22, 2022 – Amid surges in respiratory infections across the U.S., and the possibility of an uptick in COVID-19 rates, public health experts are offering advice on how people can make Thanksgiving gatherings as safe as possible.
“We want to keep you safe during this holiday time period, if it’s RSV [respiratory syncytial virus], if it’s flu, if it’s COVID,” said Rebecca Weintraub, a physician, assistant professor in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and director of the Better Evidence program at Ariadne Labs, in a November 19 ABC News article. “All of the routine viruses are showing their muscle this season. They are ready and prepared, and we need to be just as prepared so that we can gather as much as possible in person with our loved ones.”
Weintraub and others quoted in the article recommended that people make sure they’re up to date on their vaccines for COVID-19 and flu, mask up in crowded indoor spaces in the days before gatherings, and take rapid COVID-19 tests on the day of events. They also advised that people forego attending a dinner if they feel sick. During holiday gatherings, they added, people should ensure that rooms are property ventilated and that guests practice good handwashing.
Watch or read the ABC News article: How to stay safe and healthy this Thanksgiving