The holiday season is quickly approaching and it is now up to us to deal with the ongoing pandemic but also spend the valuable time with our families. The Thanksgiving tradition calls for a large feast and gathering that has always been the base of the holiday, but this year people are uneasy about celebrating.

With coronavirus numbers rising because of the loose restrictions and schools gaining more and more notices of positive cases, having a gathering for Thanksgiving may be concerning for some families but also the doctors who are trying to contain the spread of COVID-19. Some schools have decided to switch to remote learning after Thanksgiving while some have not made the decision just yet.

Thanksgiving is next week and big gatherings have not been dwindling down. Many people have let their guard down and have hosted and attended parties because they are tired of being on lock down. 

People should be more cautious and aware this year because some family members may have an underlying health issue or have elderly grandparents that may not be strong enough to fight this virus. Per a New York Times article, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci talks about most cases arising through small family gatherings because they tend to be indoors and are perceived to be more safe since it is just their extended family members. However, a small family gathering has been proven not to be all that safe because there have been many cases of where a family member was asymptomatic but still infected the rest of their family members.

If you want to spend time with your family this holiday season and remain safe, consider changing the way you would normally celebrate Thanksgiving. Hosting or attending small family gatherings that are outside and socially distant could be one of the more safer options. By having the gathering outside and everyone separated, it can reduce the spread of the virus because not everyone would be close to each other. Whenever you are gathering food, wear a mask and wash your hands. By setting a table with just food on it, you can make sure that only one person goes to the table at a time and maintain a socially acceptable distance. Instead of sitting six feet away, you can adjust it to eight or ten feet away just to be more safe.

Some people have already decided to have a virtual meeting with their family and friends to just talk. While they may not all be eating at the same time, they would be spending time together. Some have opted to celebrate early or on a later date to decrease the potential spreading whenever traveling on an airplane. 

For the December holidays, make sure to wash your hands when wrapping up presents and to sanitize your hands frequently. Wearing a mask whenever handling gifts can make sure that no gift is left with a trace of the virus in case you are an asymptomatic carrier. 

However your family or you decide to celebrate the coming holiday season, remember to maintain being safe for others and yourself. Just because you may not have any underlying health issues and have a very strong immune system, does not mean that you are not susceptible from facing the more severe symptoms of COVID-19 or passing it to a loved one.