Taking a clean break from COVID-19 precautions shouldn’t be taken off the table this Thanksgiving.
The virus may pose less of a danger, yet it still remains a threat, especially for the elderly, young children and the immunocompromised.
With the return of winter, health officials are anticipating COVID-19 hospitalizations to peak as they have in the last few years.
The hospitalizations have already increased in Chicago by nearly 17%, averaging a death a day over the last week, data from the city’s Department of Public Health shows.
Those number can only get worse if no one is masking up, social distancing or washing their hands at Illinois airports, where a record 290,000 travelers are expected to pass through during the long Thanksgiving weekend.
Others who are opting to stay in town could pose problems, too, as just 7.4% of Chicagoans have gotten the most recent COVID-19 shot.
Foregoing the updated vaccine only opens the door to hurting our most vulnerable family and friends who also have to be extra careful to not contract the flu and RSV, which also surges in winter.
The virus isn’t killing as many people as it once did, but its after-effects can linger. A recent study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases found that more than 50% of long-COVID patients failed to improve a year and a half after their initial diagnosis.
COVID-19 never left in more ways than one, and battling its spread never stopped being a goal. The holidays should be a reminder that if we want to keep celebrating together, we must remain vigilant.
Take a COVID-19 test before sitting down for a Thanksgiving meal, and if you have put off the shot, make an appointment. It is never too late as more winter festivities will kick in over the next few weeks.
Leaving the house to see loved ones during the holidays or even for a short visit was a luxury only dreamt of during the height of the pandemic. That we can break bread communally once again is an act many Americans are thankful for. We can only be hopeful that gratitude will be extended to more and more people who will take the steps to keep everyone else safe and healthy.
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