With the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays drawing near, many families have begun making plans for their traditional get-togethers while worrying about how to hold those cherished events while not spreading the coronavirus to loved ones.
More than 7.5 million Americans have contracted COVID-19 thus far, with more than 210,000 deaths attributed to this terrible and persistent virus that’s showing no signs of relenting.
Since COVID-19 emerged, Americans have celebrated the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays with mostly outdoor celebrations, which makes it more challenging to spread the coronavirus than indoor events. The winter season will soon descend on most of the country as Americans make plans to host Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day festivities with numerous people on hand at mostly indoor events.
The more individuals you pile into one area, particularly indoors, the greater the opportunity for the coronavirus to infect many people at once potentially turning a pleasant gathering of family and friends into what’s referred to as a “superspreader event,” where many individuals become infected with COVID-19 at one time and in one place. Although it takes only one infected person to spread the virus, as a group’s size increases, so does the risk of transmitting the virus to a wider cluster. A large group size also increases the chance that someone present will be infectious.
Researchers have identified several factors that make it easier for superspreading to happen, and some of them are environmental. For instance, poorly ventilated indoor areas seem especially conducive to the virus’s spread. A preliminary analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of 110 COVID-19 cases in Japan found that the odds of transmitting the pathogen in a closed environment was more than 18 times greater than in an open-air space.
The amount of time individuals stay together also matters. The longer a group stays in contact with one another, the greater the likelihood that the virus will spread among them. Exactly how much time someone needs to contract it remains unknown, and it’s frightening that superspreading events that propel the coronavirus can be triggered by people who don’t know they’re infected. Therefore if you feel sick you should stay at home.
According to the CDC, COVID-19, is mostly spread by respiratory droplets released when people talk, cough, or sneeze. The virus may also spread to hands from a contaminated surface and then to the nose, mouth or eyes, causing infection. Therefore, personal prevention practices (such as hand washing, staying home when sick, maintaining 6 feet of distance, and wearing a mask) and environmental prevention practices (such as cleaning and disinfection) are important ways to prevent the virus’s spread.
If you and your loved ones decide to gather to celebrate the upcoming holidays, please do all you can to shorten the time you’re together, wear masks when not eating or drinking, and socially distance yourselves as much as possible. You might also insist that everyone should have a flu vaccine. This will prevent from getting both viruses at the same time, or getting one after the other before the body has had time to recover.
People who believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should contact their health care provider immediately. If you are ill with flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, please call your health center or clinic before coming to your appointment. At Eskenazi Health, please call 317-880-7666 before coming to your appointment. Health care professionals are available 24/7 to answer questions on symptoms and direct you to the most appropriate care. It is important to first call before arriving at Eskenazi Health.
Diana Morales-Zelaya M.D.
Family Medicine Specialist
Eskenazi Health