Boston doctor offers COVID-19-related tips for holiday gatherings

TO START THEOR WK WEEK. RHONDELLA: THANKS, KELLY A. THE HOLIDAYS ARE APPROACHING QUICKLY NOW. THANKSGIVING IS NOW LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY. JENNIFER: AND WITMOH RE GATHERINGS PLANNED, COVID TRENDS ARE ON THE MINDS OF MANY FAMILIES. JOINING US LIVE IS D SR.ANDRA NELSON, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALISTT H. A THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. JENNIFER: WHAT SHOULD FAMILIES BE TNKHIING ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO GATHERING AGAIN? >> YTHOU NO, I THINK -- YOU KNOW, MANY ARE LOONGKI FORWARD TO THANKSGIVING, ESPECIALLY AFTER THIS CHALLENGING YEAR. MANY OF US ARE WEIGHING THE RISKS AGAINST THE BENEFITS OF BEING TOGETHER AS FAMILY. I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE BENEFITS. THERE IS A LOT TBEO GAINED FROM BEING TOGETHER AND HELPING THOSE WHO HAVE ENBE STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND ISOLATION. THESE ARE SITUATIONS IN WHICH THE RISKS ARE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, AND I THINK ALL OF US NEEDO T INDIVIDUALLY ASSESS WHAT OUR OWN RISKS ARE. FOR THOSE WHO ARE HEALTHY AND VACCINATED AND WANT EVERYONE PRESENT AS A SYMPTOM AT IT, I THINK THEER ARE TOOLS THAT CAN HELP TO MAKE THE GATHERING SAFER. RHONDEA:LL FOR SOME PEOPLE, HOLIDAY PLANS INVOLVE TRAVELING, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE CERTAINLY DIDN’T SEE LAST YEAR. SOME STATES ARE SEEING AN UPTICK IN CASES, INCLUDING MASSACHUSETTS. WHAT KINDS OF PRECAUTIONS SHOULD PEOPLE BE TAKI? >> IT IS A GREAT POINT BECAUSE REALLY WITHOUT TRAVEL, THERE WOULD BE NO PANDEMIC. WE LIVE IN A MOBILE SOCIETY, AND THAT HAS ALLOWED THIS TO SPREAD WORLDWIDE. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT TRAVEL, WE ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THE RISK OF TRAVELN O ROUTE. WHAT IS THE RISK ON THE AIRPLANE, THE BUS, OR THE TRA?IN REALLY, THE GREATEST RISK FOR MANYF O US IS THE RISK AT THE DESTINATION WHEN WE LET OUR GUARD DOWN. IN TERMS OF THE TRAVEL ITSELF, WHEN WE CANNOT PROTECT OURSELVES THWI DISTANCING, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO, INCLUDING MASKING. THERE ARE GREAT MASKS AVAILABLE THAT REALLY DO A BETTER JOB THAN CLOTH MASKS OR SURGICAL MASKS AT PROTECTING THE WREEA IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT AND INVEST IN A GO QUALITY AND 95 ARCADIA 95 RK N95 IF YOU ARE TRAVELING VIA HIERGH DENSITY -- N95 OR N95 IF YOU’RE TRAVELING VIA HIGHER DENSITY LOCATION. JENNIFER: THIS IS A TGHOU QUESTION FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, WHAT IF YOU’RE GATHERING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED? HOW MUCH OF A CONCERN IS THAT? IT’S HARD TO FORGET THE SURGE THAT WE WERE FEELING THIS TIME LAST YR. >> ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE FIVE TO 11 AGE RANGE, THEY ARE LIKYEL TO HAVE AT LEAST RECEIVED ONE DOSE. AS LGON AS THERE FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS BEYOND IT, THEY WILL HAVE SOME PROTECTION. IT IS THEOS UNDER FIVE OR THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO BE UNVACCINATED. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL BE AROUND THOSE W AHORE UNVACCINATED TO CONSIDER THEIR OWN RISKS. IF THEY ARE OLDER OR HIERGH RISK CEFAD ON THEIR IMMUNE STATUS THEN THEY MAY CONSIDER IT NOT REALLY A RISK THAT IS WITH TAKING. BUT IF IT IS UNAVOIDABLE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE ARE CHILDREN UNDER FOUR, ANOTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO CONSIDER KEEPING GATHERING SIZES SMALLER AND EMPLOYING TESTING. WE ARE NOW SEEING MORE USE OF RAPID TESTS ON THE DAY OF A GATHERING, AND THAT CAN PROVIDE AN ADDED MEASURE OF SAFETY FOR THOSE GATHERG.IN THE SURGE WE FELT THIS TIME LAST YEAR. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE WINTER HOLDS? >> I THINK THAT WE ARE POTENTIALLY IN FOR A DIFFICULT, WINTER WHEN IT COMES TO COVID CASE RATES. I THINK THERE ARE SOME DISTURBING OR CONCERNING TRENDS FROM EUROPE, OR COUNTRIES THAT ARE HIGHLY VACCINAD,TE EVEN MORE SO THAN WE ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, DENMARK, ARE SEEING CASES SURGGIN AS WEATHER TURNS COLDER AND PEOPLE MEOV INDOORS.IT IS LIKELY WE WILL SEE CASES BEGIN TO INCREASE BEYOND NOW, AND THAT RELATES TO TRAVEL, THE HIGHER PREVALENCE OF UNVACCINATED INDIVIDUALS. POTENTIALLY WANING VACCINE IMMUNITY, AND MOVING INDOORS IN SHARED, INDOOR SPACES. I THINK WHAT MAY SEPARATE THIS YEAR FROM LAST YEAR IS THAT VACCINATION REALLY DOES PROTECT AGAINST HOSPITALIZATIONS. WE ARE EXPECTING THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE MAY BE AN UPTICK IN CASES, THERE MAY NOT BE THE HEIGHT OF A SGEUR WE SOUGHT HOSPALITIZATIONS, AND THIS WILL BE TRUE IF THE FDA ALSO AUTHORIZES SOME OF THE ANTIVIRAL THERAPIES WHICH HAVE BEEN STUDIED FOR USE IN EARLY OUTPATIENT THERAPY. I THINK IT WI SLLTILL BE SIGNIFICANT AND IT IS TOO EARLY TO BE LETTING OUR GUARD DOWN. JENNIF:ER THAT WOULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. DR. SANDY NELSON, AN INFECTIO

Doctor offers COVID-19-related tips for safe holiday gatherings

Updated: 6:10 AM EST Nov 14, 2021

Thanksgiving is now less than two weeks away, but some states are seeing an uptick of COVID-19 cases.Dr. Sandra Nelson, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, offered tips to say safe and protect yourself against COVID-19 this holiday season.Watch the video above for more.

BOSTON —

Thanksgiving is now less than two weeks away, but some states are seeing an uptick of COVID-19 cases.

Dr. Sandra Nelson, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, offered tips to say safe and protect yourself against COVID-19 this holiday season.

Watch the video above for more.