This year, the usual joy that makes holidays so memorable and brilliant is much harder to find amid a pandemic that continues to get worse with each passing day. And for millions of people deciding how to celebrate, medical experts are warning that making a sentimental decision can have serious consequences. Gathering in large groups or traveling this Christmas could have “catastrophic impacts” in the coming months of the pandemic, a doctor warned.
As millions hit the road and fly to celebrate with their loved ones, some experts are warning about the potential increase that such behavior can create – especially since we are not yet feeling the effects of the last holiday. “The transmission of the virus that occurred during the Thanksgiving period has brought many health systems across the country to the brink of failure and we are not yet finished seeing that impact,” John Brownstein, MD, director of innovation at Boston Children’s Hospital, told ABC News. But that is not all. He also warned: “We are likely to see a more significant spread of viruses than on any other holiday during the pandemic.”
Read on to see why Brownstein is so concerned and to learn more about how you can stay safe, check If you don’t have it in your home, you are at a greater risk of having COVID.
Read the original article at Better life.
The layout of the upcoming holidays makes it more risky.
For weeks, leading health officials have warned that the interval between Thanksgiving and Christmas could lay the groundwork for a terrible set of coronavirus outbreaks in the United States. During an interview with Rede JAMA in early December, Anthony Fauci, MD, expressed that he is “really concerned” that the recently completed Hanukkah holiday and the Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year celebrations could lead to dire public health outcomes – and in many ways, it has the potential to be even worse than than the Thanksgiving Wave.
“We will have more people traveling and, instead of just having a holiday weekend, it is well over a week,” said Fauci during the interview. “It’s Christmas and the week between Christmas and New Year [Eve] and then the new year [Day]. “And for more regular COVID updates, subscribe to our daily newsletter.
The trip can cause a sudden increase in layers that overwhelms hospitals.
With cases reaching new heights every day, medical experts now fear that mass travel will aggravate the situation, putting pressure on the medical system that is already overwhelmed in most areas.
“Diving into December travel and vacation meetings means that we will have a third jump in this wave, or a sudden increase,” Brownstein told ABC News. “Unfortunately, this increase is likely to lead to catastrophic impacts on hospital capacity and the acceleration of dire mortality milestones until February.” And for more information on how to get the most out of public health guidelines, see If you’re not doing this, your mask won’t protect you, says the study.
The ripple effect can create a viral wave.
In addition to the growing cases, there is more bad news: the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported that the weekend before Christmas saw its largest recorded number of travelers since the start of the pandemic, exceeding one million people a day for one three-day total of 3.2 million passengers, The Washington Post reports. Experts warn that this behavior will add to the perfect storm that could take the pandemic well beyond the breaking point we’ve already seen, especially since it is believed that the most contagious variant of the UK virus has probably landed in the U.S.
“The sheer volume of mobility we are witnessing is far beyond what we saw during Thanksgiving,” warned Brownstein. “Travel plus the length of this vacation means that we are likely to see a more significant spread of viruses than any other vacation during the pandemic.” And to find out more about where the virus is getting worse, check out how bad the COVID outbreak is in your state.
But some experts still hope.
But, as two effective vaccines are being administered, Fauci points out that there is hope that we can reach an end to the pandemic in the coming months, if we follow the basic guidelines. He says that the community effort will eventually bring life back to normal.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel. In the coming months, vaccines will have a serious, important and positive impact, ”Fauci told ABC News. “But until then, we really need to adhere to prudent good public health practices.” And to learn more about the latest news from Fauci, check out The side effect of the vaccine that Dr. Fauci is concerned about.