Melania Trump's plans for Thanksgiving at the White House do not stop 4:19
(CNN) -
Millions of Americans are ignoring guidelines against vacation travel, so the United States could see an explosion of covid-19 infections in the weeks after Thanksgiving, CNN medical analyst warned Tuesday. , Dr. Jonathan Reiner.
"It's potentially the mother of all super spread events," Reiner told CNN's Erin Burnett.
Millions of people travel for Thanksgiving despite the increase in covid-19 cases
"One of the ways we thought the Midwest was seeded with viruses over the summer was with the Sturgis, South Dakota motorcycle rally, where people got infected and then spread across the Midwest."
"Now imagine that on a massive scale: people leaving every airport in the United States and carrying the virus with them," he added.
Why Testing Doesn't Guarantee Safe Travel
Reiner cautioned that tests don't always reveal whether someone is infected at any given time.
For example, if a person is infected with COVID-19 and is tested a day or two later, there may not be enough viral RNA to detect the virus, he said.
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So getting tested as a key measure for traveling on Thanksgiving won't work unless it reveals a positive result and the person stays home as a result, Reiner said.
Warning to the White House
Reiner also said that he opposes the White House's plans for the Christmas holidays this year.
"If you gather a lot of people at a White House party, particularly a food party, where you have to remove your mask, there is no safe way to do it in public," said Reiner, a cardiologist at George Washington University.
"It's another super-spreading event," he warned.
“It is completely optional and harmful in this pandemic environment.
It should not be done.
I understand that this is the last year, but it should not be done.
Thanksgiving Day