Needless to say, this year’s Christmas is unlike any other. Public health experts advised Americans to avoid large meetings and opt for an intimate dinner limited to those in their home. But whether it’s just your immediate family this Christmas or you’ve decided to run the risk of mixing with another family or two, there is one thing you should avoid at all costs at Christmas dinner: serving your meal in family style. For more precautions from COVID at Christmas, read on and to see which dish is the one you don’t like the most, check out This is the most hated Christmas dish, says the survey.
Christmas dinner in many families is often served in a buffet or family style, with guests serving shared dishes. But if your family tends to prepare dinner like that during the holidays, you should make an adjustment this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released several guidelines that warn against sharing food or utensils as COVID grows. This is because, although the most common way of spreading the virus is through droplets of contact person to person, the CDC points out that “it is possible that a person can obtain COVID-19 by touching a surface or object, including food, food packaging or utensils containing the virus and then touch the mouth, nose or possibly the eyes.
In fact, the CDC has classified the food served “potluck” or “family style” as one of the “highest risk” activities this Christmas.
Instead of serving appetizers, community salad bowls or snacks, ask your guests to bring their own food, so as not to be shared with anyone. The CDC suggests that hosts “encourage guests to bring food and drinks for themselves and only members of their own home”. If you are to serve food, the CDC recommends “identifying one person to serve all the food, so that several people do not handle the service utensils”.
Want to know how else you can keep your Christmas dinner safe with COVID spreading? Read on and, for more tips on how to avoid the virus, check if you’re not doing it, your mask won’t protect you, says the study.
Read the original article at Better life.
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Use single-use dose options.
When you imagine Christmas dinner, you’re probably not imagining plastic forks and bundles of sauce. But if you share a meal with COVID this Christmas, the CDC recommends that you “use disposable options, such as salad dressing and condiment packs, and disposable items such as food containers, plates and utensils.” Mother Nature will have to forgive you for accumulating so much disposable plastic at this year’s dinner. And to get the most up-to-date information right in your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
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Limit the number of people gathered in the kitchen.
In most Christmas meals, the kitchen is the heart of the party. However, this year, you need to keep the food preparation space free. Although guests want to offer help in the kitchen, it is best to leave this to just one person to help limit the risk of transmitting COVID. The CDC says that you must “limit people entering and leaving areas where food is being prepared or handled”. And to see which dessert is too risky to serve this Christmas, check the FDA says “Please don’t eat” this beloved dessert now.
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Have contactless garbage.
While it may seem like a silly suggestion, think about how many people put their hands in the trash when cleaning the plate. “Use non-touch trash cans, if available,” recommends the CDC. “Wear gloves when removing trash bags or handling and disposing of trash” and wash your hands after removing gloves. And if your stomach isn’t feeling right after your Christmas meal, see This is how to know if your stomach pain is COVID, doctors say.
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Make sure guests keep masks away from food.
All of your guests should be wearing masks when they arrive, but you don’t want your potentially contaminated facial covers anywhere near the table. “All participants must have a plan for where to store their masks while eating and drinking,” says the CDC. They suggest keeping the masks “in a dry, breathable bag (like a paper bag or mesh fabric) to keep [them] clean between uses. “And if you are concerned about getting the coronavirus, check out this common feeling could be a sign that you have COVID, doctors warn.
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Make sure that anyone touching the food has washed their hands.
Washing your hands is essential to avoid not only COVID, but many other winter illnesses, like the flu. The CDC advises you to “make sure everyone is washing their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after preparing, serving and eating food and after taking out the trash”. And for more information on CDC’s latest vaccine advice, see The CDC says you need to postpone vaccination in these 2 cases.