Risks of Celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas During COVID

Posted on 10/20/20 by Carlett Spike

With cases of COVID-19 rising across the country, Thanksgiving and other holidays will look very different — likely much smaller — this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified big Thanksgiving gatherings as high-risk activities. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation's top COVID-19 medical experts and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has warned that coronavirus cases could spike if people travel out of town and celebrate indoors. He says he's not having Thanksgiving with his own children, who live in different states, because they'd have to travel by plane and risk exposure to COVID-19. And he's warning others to be very careful about holiday celebrations.

"Given the fluid and dynamic nature of what's going on right now in the spread and uptick of infections, people should be very careful and prudent about social gatherings, particularly when members of the family might be at a risk because of their age or their underlying condition,” Fauci told CBS News. “Namely you may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering unless you're pretty certain that the people you're dealing with are not infected.”

As families begin planning for Thanksgiving and other holidays, they're weighing their options and risks through a pandemic lens.

Virtual versus in-person events

According to CDC guidelines, the safest option is to celebrate the holidays virtually or just with the members of your own household.

Anne Armstrong, 53, of Nashville, has opted to do the holidays differently this year. Armstrong will invite her 84-year-old mother over for Thanksgiving, but she'll meet up with the rest of her large family on Zoom. “I'm thinking of doing a game night,” Armstrong says, so the family can still engage with one another virtually.

spinner image Thanksgiving dinner
STOCKSY

How to Plan for Your Holiday

  • Evaluate your risk tolerance around contracting COVID-19.
  • Try a virtual holiday meal, where you connect with loved ones by video chat.
  • Establish ground rules for in-person gatherings that everyone agrees to follow.
  • Assess risks posed by various methods of travel.
  • Be transparent with family and friends about concerns, illnesses and expectations.

She and others who choose a more physically distant holiday celebration can use technology to stay connected. Social media, video chats and phone calls can all help keep Thanksgiving, for example, festive without putting people at risk. In addition to organizing a game night with her family through Zoom, Armstrong plans to share recipes ahead of time so everyone is eating the same meal on video.

But some say they're still planning to gather for Thanksgiving.

"We're moving forward with holiday plans and get-togethers, based on what happened over the summer,” says David Bakke, 48, of Atlanta. Bakke traveled to Florida to see relatives during the summer and did not get sick, so he plans to return for the holidays, he says. His family will wear masks and keep social distance while indoors.

spinner image Thanksgiving dinner
STOCKSY

How to Plan for Your Holiday

  • Evaluate your risk tolerance around contracting COVID-19.
  • Try a virtual holiday meal, where you connect with loved ones by video chat.
  • Establish ground rules for in-person gatherings that everyone agrees to follow.
  • Assess risks posed by various methods of travel.
  • Be transparent with family and friends about concerns, illnesses and expectations.

This article originally appeared on AARP.org in October 2020

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