The risks of celebrating Christmas indoors 2:27
(CNN) - CNN
medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen is the cook in her family and her husband is the baker, so they're already testing recipes for rib roast, green bean stew and gingerbread muffins. for your Christmas celebrations.
Your 3-year-old son is painting ornaments and will help his parents decorate the family Christmas tree.
He is also designing a Christmas stocking for himself and his 8-month-old sister.
They are already doing virtual game nights with their sister who lives in Seattle (the current favorite is Catan).
On Christmas Eve, they will continue the family tradition of Christmas carols, with Wen playing the piano and the two families singing together through Zoom, followed by remote church services on Christmas Day.
What the family of four won't do is meet with relatives outside of their home this year, not indoors, not yet.
In light of all the good news about vaccine development, CNN asked Dr. Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, to explain why he follows so many measures. of security.
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CNN: We have a coronavirus vaccine, isn't that good news, just in time for Christmas?
Dr. Leana Wen:
That's good news, but the vast majority of Americans still don't have access to the vaccine.
Coronavirus infections are on the rise and out of control across the country.
The last million new infections were reported in just five days.
Hospitals are already overwhelmed and deaths are on the rise as well.
We will see the impact of Thanksgiving trips and the number of infections and hospitalizations will continue to increase.
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warned that the next three months will be the most difficult in public health history.
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Hospitals, which are the last line of defense, are on the brink of collapse.
If that happens, it won't just compromise the care of coronavirus patients.
It will also affect people who need help with heart attacks, strokes, cancer, asthma, and other diseases.
There is too much virus out there and we all have to shelter in place to help 'flatten the curve' again.
That means a collective sacrifice, with each person doing their part.
I know it is very difficult with Christmas and other big holidays coming up, but this is the time for us to commit to stop seeing each other, in person and at home.
This individual sacrifice helps protect our health care system, and protects ourselves and those we love, to get through this winter.
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CNN: Does that mean we can't get together for Christmas?
Wen:
I highly recommend that you do not hang out indoors with anyone outside your home.
Mixing homes is very high risk, especially given the amount of viruses in our communities.
In many parts of the country, there is so much infection that if you have a gathering of 10 people, there is a nearly one in four chance that someone has coronavirus.
Up to 60% of the spread is due to people with no symptoms.
I'm sure none of us would want to be part of a Christmas gathering that unwittingly ends up making our family or friends sick.
CNN: Why are indoor family gatherings considered high risk?
Wen:
It's okay to meet the people you live with.
But when it expands to other households, it increases the risk substantially, because if even one person engages in higher risk activities, that risk is transferred to you.
It is also a question of what people tend to do at indoor Christmas gatherings.
You are usually in close contact with family and close friends.
They can hug or kiss and sit together.
When food and drink are served, people don't wear masks.
It can be cold and the windows and doors will be closed, so there is little ventilation.
People meet for long periods of time over dinner, further increasing the risk.
Together, these are some of the highest risk settings for the transmission of the new coronavirus.
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CNN: What if we really want to see each other over the end of the year festivities?
Wen:
They can be seen safely outdoors, with homes separated by at least 2 meters.
This is challenging in cold weather, but there are some possible solutions with warm blankets, fire pits, and short gatherings that can easily be rescheduled if it rains or snows.
For those who really want to see each other indoors, there is a safe way to do it: everyone can be quarantined for 14 days.
(Ten days is also possible, although there is a higher risk than with 14 days, and it is also possible to quarantine for seven days in a row after a test.)
This is difficult for many people, but it is a way of looking confident.
CNN: What precautions should we take to see ourselves outdoors?
Wen:
The most important precaution is to ensure that people from different households stay at least 2 meters apart at all times.
That includes children.
Make sure they are supervised and, if they play together, that they wear face masks and do their best to keep physically apart.
If you are serving food, do not serve it as a buffet, but serve individually and ask guests to go for their meal one by one.
The same goes for drinks.
Make sure people are not gathered in one place, but instead carry their drinks to their separate seats.
CNN: What can we do to make eating indoors safe?
Wen:
For people from different households who were not quarantined, eating inside is not safe.
There are methods that reduce risk, for example, keeping doors and windows open, with families seated separately.
But when people don't wear masks and with indoor air circulation instead of outside, there is a risk.
In addition, there is a temptation to engage in other higher risk activities, such as watching a movie together indoors.
For all of these reasons, I would not recommend dining indoors with people who are not at home this winter.
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CNN: When can we expect to get back to normal?
Wen:
It is truly a marvel of science that we have not one, but two vaccines that appear to be safe and extremely effective.
There may be even more vaccines that are also very promising.
It will take time for everyone to receive a coronavirus vaccine, but we may be able to vaccinate most Americans in late spring or early summer.
We may be able to meet in person for the summer.
We can plan this and also have some really wonderful celebrations next December.
CNN: What about family members who don't want to wait?
Wen:
Approach them with compassion and try to understand their reasons.
How you approach someone who doesn't believe the coronavirus is real will be very different than whether their reason is that they miss you too much.
Think of alternative ways to celebrate Christmas.
Have virtual game nights, video cooking contests, and Christmas tree decorating at Zoom.
Make plans to see each other this summer.
If you can't convince a family member or close friend and they will be hosting a reunion despite their best efforts, you should say no to you and your family.
It's about your health and the health of the members of your household.
It is very difficult to stop seeing each other this winter, but doing so allows us to celebrate next Christmas and many more ahead.
The next few months will be very challenging, but we can get through it together.
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