Episode 42: Spring Gatherings and Holiday Safety

Additional resources

Spring Gatherings and Holiday Safety

Q1: After two long years of being in the pandemic, I want to gather with family and friends, is it safe now?

Nowadays many people are vaccinated or have recently recovered from COVID-19, so have a degree of immunity. COVID-19 cases are also fairly low, so we can get together. But we should still do so in ways that reduce our risk.

If you are getting together indoors with a lot of people – and especially if you are doing so without a mask, you must accept that there’s a good likelihood of being exposed to COVID-19. If you’re in a room with 100 people, we assume that 2 will have COVID-19, but cases are creeping up a bit. So, keep that in mind. COVID-19 spreads through airborne particles. So if you are gathering indoors, good ventilation can help create a safer environment. Maybe consider keeping gatherings a little smaller so that people can spread out if they need to.

As always, the best protection for everyone ages 5 and up is to get vaccinated and boosted and to also get your flu shot. Make an appointment or walk in to get that first shot, that second shot, and that booster shot. Vaccines still offer us our best protection and having all your recommended vaccine doses is the best way to protect yourself and the loved ones that you want to gather with this spring.

Something else you can do to stay safe is move your gathering outdoors to celebrate those good times. If everyone is vaccinated and boosted, you can enjoy looking at people’s smiles in the sunlight. You can also use CDC’s COVID Data Tracker to learn if your community or the community where you are gathering has a high number of COVID-19 cases. That should help you decide what kind of safety measures to take.

Q2: During some religious practices we eat and drink from the same utensils, should I be worried about getting COVID-19?

Getting COVID from the surface of a glass or a fork isn't the easiest way of transmission. It's more being near someone who has COVID and breathing the same air. Using individual utensils could provide more safety. Wiping utensils in between use can also offer a layer protection. 

Q3: You say to assess my own risk when gathering. How do I do that?

To assess your risk, ask yourself if you are 65 or older, do you have other medical conditions or chronic disease like diabetes, lung disease or heart disease. Are you taking medications that reduce your immune system like high doses of steroids or chemotherapy to treat cancer? Do you have HIV that is not well controlled or an autoimmune disease? 

If the answer is yes for you, someone in your household, or someone that you are visiting with then consider wearing a mask. If your health condition allows you to be vaccinated, make sure you are vaccinated and boosted and that you have your flu shot.  

Q4: I really like to hug people when I have not seen them in a long time. Are we safe to hug again now?

Many of us have missed hugging our loved ones. I think it is really important. So again, think about your own risks and the risks of the person you’re hugging. Are you both vaccinated? Are you at risk for severe disease? Are they? We know COVID spreads through the air, so if you are going to hug you might think about turning your head or wearing a mask.

Q5: During the holidays, I like to travel to gather with family and friends. How can I stay safe?

Getting vaccinated and boosted and your flu shot before you travel is a great start. 

After that, I’d recommend you bring a high-quality, well-fitting mask, like an N95 or KN95, and plan on wearing that mask. The federal government still requires masks on public transportation, and in airports and on airplanes, through April 18. So, you should expect to wear your mask.

I would also encourage using the community-level map again for travel. That way you can check the COVID-19 spread in the area you are going to. If you are traveling by car and you do not know the status of those you are traveling with, you can wear a mask and keep the windows open. Another option is to fly direct and limit the number of layovers you have in different places.

Q6: I heard about the second booster, but if hospitalizations are down and masks are coming off, why not wait to get it later, like in the fall when things might get bad again? If I get my second booster now, won’t it be worn off by the fall?

I understand the reasoning, but if you only had two doses you probably have very little protection left from Omicron right now. COVID is still circulating in our communities. Boosters will bring your protection level up. We don’t know what will happen in the fall. We’re making our recommendations based on what we know today.

Q7: Finally, I heard that April is National Minority Health Month, tell me more about it. How can I participate?

I would love to. National Minority Health Month is celebrated every year in April. Its origin is in the 1915 establishment of National Negro Health Week by Booker T. Washington. The focus is to establish “appropriate programs and activities to promote healthfulness in minority and other health disparity communities” (H. Con. Res. 388). This year’s theme is “Give Your Community a Boost.”

If you want to get involved, on April 20, 2022 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m., you can join the Twitter chat “COVID-19 Gamechangers: Trusted Messengers Giving Communities A Boost!” held by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities @NIMHD and the Office of Minority Health @minorityhealth. It will be hosted in English and Spanish @OMH_Espanol. 

Document accessibility: For individuals with disabilities or individuals who speak a language other than English, OHA can provide information in alternate formats such as translations, large print, or braille. Contact the Health Information Center at 1-971-673-2411, 711 TTY or COVID19.LanguageAccess@dhsoha.state.or.us.