Healthy Holidays Myths vs. Reality
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Maya Angelou
Poet, Dancer, Producer, Playwright, Director, Author
The holiday season starts this week in earnest with Thanksgiving (all due respect to the Halloween holdouts and the folks who have already put up their Christmas trees). This time last year, you were likely traveling across the country to spend time with family and friends or hosting a meal centered around your favorite dishes. What do you need to know to keep you and your loved one’s safe and healthy this year? The answer to this question is quite simple and has been available from the early stages of the pandemic: We must wash our hands and sanitize them often, wear masks whenever out in public, and distance ourselves from anyone not in our daily households. There have been many mixed messages from the media and from our government. The following are a few myths and realities that may help us navigate the impending holiday season.
MYTH: It is safe to celebrate the holidays with people you do not live with if you are related to them.
REALITY: The virus does not care that it’s Thanksgiving!
Each gathering poses a significant risk of accelerating community spread of the virus due to the fact that celebrating the holiday involves increasing person-to-person contact. Traveling and congregating indoors with people who do not live in your household are both examples of higher risk activities.
MYTH: Everyone will get COVID-19. There is nothing I can personally do to avoid contracting the virus.
REALITY: There are several actions individuals can take to lower their own risk and limit the spread of COVID-19 during the holiday season.
Guidelines are adjusted based on several location-dependent factors such as the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community and the burden on local hospitals, but there is general consensus that the following are steps individuals can take to slow the spread of COVID-19 this holiday season:
Wear a mask.
Abide by all local, state, federal, and international travel restrictions and strongly consider all travel recommendations.
Stay at least 6 feet away from others who are not members of the same household.
Minimize the number of people in any enclosed or outdoor space.
Wash your hands frequently or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
If you are feeling unwell or have been in contact with anyone who is or has recently been feeling unwell, stay home.
Celebrate the holidays virtually!
MYTH: The flu shot increases your risk of contracting COVID-19, and it should be skipped this year.
REALITY: Getting a flu shot this year is more important than ever.
We highly recommend that you and your loved ones get a flu shot this flu season! It is important to note that while the flu shot cannot protect you against COVID-19, the flu shot does protect you against the Influenza virus. We want to limit the spread of two simultaneous respiratory illnesses and lessen the burden on the healthcare system by reducing the number of flu-related illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. (1)
MYTH: A COVID-19 vaccine will be available by the end of the year for all individuals to get vaccinated.
REALITY: Although Pfizer and Moderna have both recently reported they both have developed separate, ~95% effective vaccines, both vaccines are still in the trial phase, with no guarantee when or if a vaccine will be widely distributed.
Additionally, there are concerns about distribution of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Due to the need for super cold storage and 2 doses, Pfizer’s vaccine distribution plan is expensive and difficult. Both vaccines need to be stored at freezing temperatures, and distribution centers need to be able to accommodate this. At present, there needs to be a focus on capacity-building of U.S. public health infrastructure in order to support widespread COVID-19 distribution.
As we all work through the difficulties of staying safe and healthy during the pandemic, rest assured that the Global Liver Institute team continues to fight for your rights and for the specific needs of liver health patients.
Happy holidays to you and your families.
(1) CDC. (2020, October 23). What are the benefits of flu vaccination? Retrieved November 19, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccine-benefits.htm
