To avoid Covid, here are four questions to ask family and friends before Thanksgiving gatherings

“Infection among the unvaccinated continues to drive this pandemic, hospitalizations and deaths – tragically, at a time when we have a vaccine that can provide protection,” said Walensky. amazing. “As we approach the Thanksgiving break, I wanted to take a moment to think about where we were a year ago. I can remember waiting so long for life-saving vaccines. birth that we now have at our fingertips.”

She added, “We will be encouraging those who gather to do so safely once they have been fully vaccinated, as we’ve been saying for months now.”

To celebrate safely, here are four questions to ask friends and family before gatherings.

Question 1: Have you been vaccinated?

Knowing the immunization status of those around you can help determine if you should take certain precautions during holiday gatherings, such as wearing a mask or keeping your distance.

Since his family members are fully vaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institutes of Health, said that he will be spending the holidays with his family – and the removal of masks when everyone is vaccinated.

“It’s the safety net – it’s the vaccination,” Fauci said.

“Get vaccinated and you can enjoy the holiday very easily, and if not, be careful,” Fauci added. “Get tested if you need to get tested when the two of you see each other, but it’s not a substitute for vaccinations. Get yourself vaccinated and you can continue to enjoy interactions with family and friends. is different.”

Someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they receive a second dose of Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccine or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Question 2: Have you been tested?

Some families may be trying to determine if they should ask Thanksgiving guests to get tested, especially if guests haven’t been vaccinated.

He added: “You can do an antigen test. “It’s not the most sensitive of the tests, but it can tell you when you have enough virus in your nasopharynx to transmit.”

CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta calls home Covid-19 testing “one of the best tools we have” right now to stay safe during the pandemic.

“Remember, let’s say you’ve been vaccinated, but still want to make sure you’re not likely to carry the virus, which can happen. What you can do is you can do a rapid antigen test. to be able to give you a pretty accurate answer to the question you’re really asking: Are you contagious? That’s what you really want to know,” Gupta said, adding that such a test can can be purchased over-the-counter for about $20.

Question 3: Should we jailbreak to open a window?

Air ventilation is an important thing to think about during large gatherings, Gupta says on his podcast.

“We know that this virus is airborne. It’s airborne. So the more you can get the air moving, the better,” Gupta said.

“Actually, the way to think about it is to think of a virus like cigarette smoke. If there’s smoke outside, you’re less likely to breathe it in, right? But indoors, if you have that smoke, too, it will increase the chances of those particles being inhaled,” he added. “Even cracking the window a little can help.”

Question 4: Does anyone at serious risk need me to wear a mask?

Even when certain mitigations are in place — knowing who’s vaccinated and who hasn’t, testing guests, and improving ventilation — it can be helpful to know who at the Thanksgiving table has at high risk of severe Covid-19 illness to help protect them.

Some guests, who are at increased risk of severe Covid-19 due to age or underlying health conditions, may prefer to wear their own masks and that of others.

“If people were generally healthy and they got vaccinated and boosted their health, maybe people would ditch their masks and eat a very normal Thanksgiving meal,” CNN’s Dr. Leana Wen told CNN. John King on Tuesday.

“On the other hand, if you have young children who have not been vaccinated or who are severely immunocompromised, you may want an extra level of protection – being outdoors, opening all the windows in your home or doing quick test of the day for everyone,” said Wen, an emergency medicine physician and professor of health policy and management at the Milken School of Public Health at George Washington University. “That helps ensure that everyone stays healthy from Covid and safe from Covid this Thanksgiving.”

“It’s important that we make sure everyone present at the Thanksgiving table is vaccinated and consider other layers of protection, including wearing masks when not eating, opening windows, and checking people with may have been exposed,” Frieden tweeted.

These kinds of conversations can be hard for some people — but being open with loved ones about your concerns is key, Gupta says on his podcast.

“I think it’s important to remember to have an open conversation with people who want to spend the holidays. Let’s talk about it now,” says Gupta. “Let them know your concerns, what could make you and your family feel safer, and basically go from there.”