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Although many people skipped traditional family gatherings during last year’s holiday season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year they long for a little more normalcy.
Is it safe to carry out our holiday traditions this year?
We asked Dr. Brian Metzger, medical director, infectious diseases at St. David’s HealthCare; Dr. Meena Iyer, chief medical officer at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Central Texas; Dr. Suneet Singh, medical director for CareHive Health; and Dr. Stanley Spinner, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Texas Children’s Urgent Care, for tips on how to celebrate safely.
Is this year different than last year?
Yes, sure they all say. Last year we hadn’t vaccinated anyone on Thanksgiving, and by Christmas only key health workers had been vaccinated.
“We didn’t have the level of immunity in the community,” says Metzger. That is both immunity to the vaccine and having already had the virus. Hold On To Your Tinsel: This Is Still Not a Normal Year.
Everyone will decide how to party based on their own level of comfort, Spinner says, but “I don’t think it’ll still be quite the way it was before,” he says.
Can i meet my family?
Ideally, everyone who congregates would be fully vaccinated, which means two vaccinations for Pfizer and Moderna, one for Johnson & Johnson, and two weeks later. And those who qualify for a booster because they are at increased risk of developing serious illness or who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine two months earlier received the booster.
“Vaccination is our No. 1 method to prevent serious illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths that we don’t want through family reunions,” says Metzger. “We have seen that far too often here in the hospital.”
Think about who is in your household. What were their habits? Were they mostly at home or did they work or socialize in overcrowded rooms?
People with compromised immune systems or at other risk of serious illnesses may not want to risk the congregation even if they are vaccinated.
“It’s almost like making a calculation based on who is coming, what their vaccination status is, where they are from, whether someone is at high risk of serious illness … those are all the nuances of the calculation, that you have to do, ”says Metzger.
Vaccination status:Should I get a COVID-19 booster? Find out who qualifies under the new FDA guidelines
How to be safer at holiday gatherings
If you’re gathering for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, or other events, there are ways you can do it more safely, says Metzger.
Keep it smaller with just a few households than with a large gathering of 20 or 30 people.
Think about doing more things outside than inside if possible. Be aware of social distancing, encourage frequent hand washing, and avoid sharing utensils.
Consider wearing masks if you have close contact indoors with someone you don’t normally live with.
Cancel plans if someone is sick or has been with someone who is sick.
“Even if we’re vaccinated, we still have to be careful,” says Iyer. “We can have a breakthrough infection.”
What about the kids
Adolescents 12 years and older who are vaccinated are a different story than children between 5 and 11 or 4 and younger.
The 5-11 age group could have one vaccine by Thanksgiving and two and fully vaccinated by Christmas. If that’s the case, Christmas becomes a safer gathering event than Thanksgiving.
The 4 and younger set are not vaccinated in time. Children can still have serious illnesses, be hospitalized, be in intensive care, and even die from the disease. They could also pass it on to their relatives, including those who have weakened immune systems or are otherwise at higher risk of developing serious illnesses.
The risk for unvaccinated people like children decreases the more vaccinated people are in their vicinity, says Metzger.
Vaccinate children:What you need to know about children and COVID-19 vaccines
What about the college kid coming home?
Know your child. Is your child vaccinated? Does your child wear a mask everywhere? Then you have the ideal child to get home safely without worrying too much. However, if you know your child has not been vaccinated and / or is not wearing a mask, you may want your child to take a COVID-19 test before they get home, or wear a mask at home.
Again, it is based on your level of risk as well as your own level of risk.
Pandemic Progress:Austin Area Passes Level 2 COVID-19 Threshold; Austin Public Health urges mask and vigilance with vaccines
Take into account the current COVID-19 levels
Iyer says if this had been in September or August when there was a spike in COVID-19 cases and we ran out of ICU beds in central Texas, there was no way she would be thinking about a family reunion.
However, at the moment the cases are low (we’re going to level 2) which makes it easier for doctors to make smaller gatherings with safety precautions.
Things can change. Think back to what happened in 2020.
We had a summer climb and the numbers went down in October. Then Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all added to a new surge that we don’t want this year.
Several weeks pass between exposure, illness and hospitalization. By Thanksgiving, we’ll know the impact Halloween has had on our COVID-19 numbers.
Keep track of what’s happening on the ground by looking at Austin Public Health’s COVID-19 dashboards. Also keep an eye on COVID-19 levels, which relatives who come to visit may come from. If they see an increase in the cases they live in, you may want them to stay there.
Can we travel
Yes, it is safe to travel when the COVID-19 rates you are coming from and where you are going are still low. Wear a mask during transportation in public places such as airports. Wear a mask in places such as hotel lobbies. Do not travel if you have symptoms that could be COVID-19 or any other respiratory disease.
Should we test before we go or after we come home?
“That’s not a bad idea,” says Singh. You’ll want to test three to five days after you return so that the incubation period is up and enough virus is present to show up on the test, he says.
COVID-19 tests:What COVID-19 test should you take before a party or large gathering?
Can we go to a Christmas tree farm or a Christmas lights show?
Outdoor activities are very safe (and fun), but have your mask ready if you come into close contact with someone else. Stand in a row? Mask yourself. In a lot? Mask yourself. Go in? Mask yourself.
Can we go to a Christmas game or to the “nutcracker”?
It is an indoor gathering of people who are not in your household, which is an increased risk.
Check the security of the venue. Some like the Long Center require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test and the wearing of masks.
Assess your own risk factors (vaccination status, age, health), but if you decide to go to an indoor event, wear a mask.
Can we visit Santa Claus this year?
Has Santa Claus been vaccinated? Our doctors are worried about him, if not. Even if children are not long on Santa’s laps, there is still a risk for Santa Claus and for your family. The greater risk is actually standing in line and being in close contact with other people.
Consider having a vaccinated Santa that you know. Two other options are a virtual visit to Santa Claus or a Santa Claus call.
If you want to go to a traditional Santa Claus place, do some research before visiting to see what precautions the North Pole is taking. Has Santa Claus been vaccinated? Do you register to limit the number of children? What about the social distancing in line? Mask? Does Santa Claus stay home when he’s sick?
Can we go to church?
Nobody wants to tell you no, but the hope is that there are some COVID-19 safety measures like wearing a mask inside and sitting family groups from other family groups. Don’t forget about hand hygiene either.
Remember, it’s not just COVID-19
This summer, many respiratory diseases emerged, particularly in children’s hospitals, including parainfluenza, rhinoviruses and the respiratory syncytial virus. Now we are also starting the flu season.
Get your flu shot and practice all that we have learned from COVID-19: wear a mask, social distancing, wash your hands.
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https://www.statesman.com/story/news/healthcare/2021/11/08/austin-covid-safety-holiday-season-how-gather-celebrate-lower-risk/6179753001/
