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Thanksgiving 2020 will be unlike any other holiday we’ve ever experienced. At least, we hope so.
With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in the United States, asking people to gather in groups to eat turkey and pie does not seem like the best idea at the moment.
In fact, countless medical experts are coming out to urge people to avoid celebrating Thanksgiving the way they have in years past. Read on to learn what you should do this Thanksgiving in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The CDC recommends people just celebrate Thanksgiving with members of their household and avoid traveling if at all possible.
“Your household is anyone who currently lives and shares common spaces in your housing unit (such as your house or apartment). This can include family members, as well as roommates or people who are unrelated to you,” the CDC shared.
However, if you absolutely have to travel for Thanksgiving, it is important to follow all the necessary protocols to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Try getting tested prior to traveling, quarantine, and wear a mask when in public at all times.
Though it’ll be hard for people to forgo their Thanksgiving traditions, doctors are urging people to make this small sacrifice to help others.
“We’re in the worst condition we have ever been in this country,” Dr. Dara Kass, associate professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, told Yahoo.
“People are not realizing that we are going to continue to have worse numbers, higher hospitalizations, higher deaths, and much more infection between now and Thanksgiving.”
The main concern for doctors is the fact that countless hospitals are already at capacity, or close to it. And, because the holidays usually bring together the young and old, there is a serious concern that elderly people will be infected at a high rate following Thanksgiving.
“What our biggest fear is and what we are seeing happen now is our hospitals are already close to capacity in general,” Dr. Shikha Jain also shared. “We don’t have the nurses and the doctors and all of the other people who really make our health system run. They are getting sick.”
While nobody wants to not see their family this holiday season, think of it as a break from having to answer questions about your personal life! Here’s to Thanksgiving 2021, which will surely be better.
