Happy Healty holiday

Usually at the holidays my worst health concern is to avoid eating too many cookies or pieces of pie. This year, we are in our second COVID affected holiday. There is an avalanche of information about how to have a safe(ish) holiday. Nearly every expert has a different opinion on what this means. I’m basing this post on questions I’ve been asked most often over the past couple of months.
Despite having, if anything, too many articles and posts on the topic, questions remain. The truth is that even scientific experts don’t have all the information they would like to make decisions. The best we can say as scientists is what is likely the case given what few facts we have right now. People who seek absolute answers will be dissatisfied with this seeming non-answer.
The fact is COVID has given us all a lump of coal in our stocking when we wanted a red and green tree shaped sugar cookie. All we want to do is spend some quality time with our loved ones, which can boost our mental health and, instead, we are faced with anxiety, frustration, and risk of illness.
One approach we can take is to meet outside. To make it fun, create a staycation ski-resort holiday family gathering with hot chocolate, mulled cider and cookies on your patio. Layer up and blast your heater if you have one. Another approach is to have a Zoom party with online games. This is perfect for connecting distant family who can’t travel. Here is a list of virtual games to make your gathering festive: https://www.bustle.com/life/zoom-games-holiday-party.
If you do want to gather in person here are few thoughts. The safest we get outside of having no human contact is being vaccinated and boosted and having a handful of family and friends who are also vaccinated and boosted and either tested or masked to our holiday event. On the opposite end of risk is not being vaccinated. We need to use what we know and take carefully considered risks based on our own situation and our loved ones situations.
Where can we get valid information to make decisions? I recommend the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
On this website you can find details about quarantining if you have been exposed or have symptoms, details about vaccines and approved treatments and a lot of other information. I understand some may not like the CDC. The next best place is to go to a large hospital website such as Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/symptoms-causes/syc-20479963 or the website of a university with a medical school, for example, Harvard Health https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-resource-center
Visit our website next week because you’ll find a treat waiting for you to help you with your New Year’s preparations.
I hope you and our whole L4 community have a healthy holiday!