The holidays bring joy during the winter months, but celebrating will need to look a little different this year with safe holiday celebrations. It is important to protect ourselves, our family, and our friends. The CDC has released guidelines for safe celebrations. Being diligent and choosing some effective strategies for celebrations can help keep everyone healthy.

If possible, have your gatherings outside. There is more airflow, and it is easier to practice social distancing when outdoors. Wear hats, gloves, and warm coats. Consider investing in a patio heater. Just keep in mind that the virus can still be transmitted in this environment, so it is still crucial to wear masks. If you do end up inside, wearing masks is even more important, as well as hand hygiene. Everyone should wash their hands thoroughly and often. Frequently touched surfaces should be sanitized before and after gatherings. Look for products that advertise that they kill viruses.

Follow CDC Guidelines for Safe Holiday Celebrations

Keep your gatherings small. It is best to limit them to 10 people to lessen exposure. Also limit the duration of the festivities and don’t let your guard down. Often, people will become more relaxed when drinking alcohol and forget to be diligent. Transmission risk greatly increases if people start moving closer together, remove their masks, and start speaking louder. Often, the more viral load someone is exposed to, the sicker they will become.

If you are feeling ill, stay home and do not put your family and friends at risk. Also keep in mind that it is not always evident that someone has COVID-19. Someone may be asymptomatic or presymptomatic. If there is evidence of community transmission in your area or an area that a guest is traveling from, it may be a better idea to use video-chatting instead of in person gatherings. Everyone needs to be smart about safe holiday celebrations this year. Everything will look different, but with creativity and flexibility we can still make memories together.

Our office continues to be open, with regular health checks and sanitizing protocol. Please contact us to make an appointment for EMG/NCS testing.