Family dinners, traveling home, time with friends. These are the things we adore about the holidays. This year may look different than years past, but regardless of your plans, there are steps you can take to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
Although a joyous season, holidays can also be stressful. Take a break if you feel overwhelmed. Ensure you are getting enough sleep, keep active, and eat healthily. In fact, living a healthy lifestyle year-round can be your best defense against contracting any virus.
As the weather gets colder, bundle up to stay dry and warm. Ensure your fireplace is safe; the majority of residential fires occur during the winter.
Don’t drink and drive or let your friends and family get behind the wheel. Always wear your seatbelt and buckle children into an appropriate car-seat.
Holiday season overlaps with cold and flu season. The CDC says good health habits are key to minimizing the risk of contracting a virus or Covid-19.
Getting the flu vaccine can help protect yourself and the people around you. To further reduce your risk:
During these unprecedented times, there are some things you can do to help minimize risk to yourself and your family.
Whenever possible, keep your gatherings outside. There is sound evidence showing a significantly lower risk with proper airflow and social distancing. Limit your interactions to your immediate family as much as possible.
Keep an eye on community transmission before you plan to travel or host guests, as various areas will have different levels of risk. Limit the length of interactions. The more time you spend with people, the higher the chance of exposure to the virus.
For students stuck on campus, follow the health and safety guidelines at your university. Colleges have found ways to cope with COVID-19 since reopening across the country.
Wherever you are, make sure to reduce the size of gatherings. Fewer people means less risk. Discuss the hazards before assembling. Have your guests been in an area with a high concentration of disease?
Be vigilant about wearing masks and maintaining proper hygiene. Wash your hands frequently. Avoid touching high traffic areas like doorknobs.
By maintaining a commitment to minimize transmission, you can still have a happy holiday. Taking some time to plan your interactions will help keep everyone safe.
Don’t let the current world situation put you off seeing your friends and family for the holiday season. Protect your health, avoid being near sick people, and take extra precautions to keep yourself safe.