Doctors Recommend Caution During Thanksgiving Gatherings
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Low case numbers have led to some dropping their guard against COVID-19, however, doctors recommend all residents attending or hosting a Thanksgiving gathering to practice caution as the pandemic continues to linger.
"It's best to be vaccinated," said Dr. Nathan Newman, the lead physician at Santa Monica Urgent Care. "That's going to be the best protection. If you're not vaccinated, really think twice about if you want to be in a group of people that potentially could infect you."
Newman also suggests the key to preventing the spread of COVID-19 at the Thanksgiving table is to get tested before the dinner party.
"Unvaccinated people should be tested if they're coming to the table," he said. "They're much more likely to spread infection even if they have asymptomatic infection."
Newman also recommends vaccinated guests to get tested, if they begin to experience any symptoms. He recommends rapid antigen testing for both unvaccinated and vaccinated people since PCR testing takes a few days to receive results.
"It gives you an answer almost immediately and it's accurate when tested a few days into an illness," said Newman. "And it's going to give you an idea of if you're contagious to other people or not."
Doctors also recommend that gatherings should be held outside. If that's not possible, unvaccinated guests — including children — should continue to wear masks while indoors.