Tips for a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving
COVID-19, influenza, and RSV transmission and severity are currently at low/baseline levels. Influenza and RSV are starting to creep up. We expect viral respiratory illnesses to increase shortly after Thanksgiving, consistent with trends from the past 4 years. – Lea Hamner, Contract Epidemiologist, Barnstable County
Good news! Compared to the last four years, the risk of picking up an unwanted virus at your Thanksgiving get-together is relatively low! That said, we’ll keep our reminders short and to the point.
Feeling sick? Consider staying home. Especially if you have older family members or infants attending the Thanksgiving festivities. A minor cold for you could very well be more severe for the very young and/or very old.
Keep your hands washed! Keeping your hands clean isn’t just essential for avoiding respiratory viruses. Here’s a fun fact from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: A single gram of human feces—which is about the weight of a paper clip—can contain one trillion germs. And while you may be thinking it’s unlikely you’ll get poop on your hands, think again. These kinds of germs can get onto hands after people use the toilet or change a diaper, but also in less obvious ways, like after handling raw meats that have invisible amounts of animal poop on them. The last thing anyone wants is to pick up Norovirus, salmonella, e.coli, or Adenovirus so PLEASE, wash your hands! In case you forgot, here’s how it’s done:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or an air dryer.
Pass the turkey, not the baby! Babies, especially newborns, are still building their immune systems and don’t yet have the ability to fight viruses like older children or adults. Plus, they have tiny airways that can easily become inflamed during an upper respiratory illness, making even a minor cold worrisome for new parents. Here are a few steps to consider when bringing your baby to gatherings during the holiday season:
- Let people know ahead of time that, in consideration of the season and increasing spread of illness that comes with cold weather and spending time indoors, you’ll be minimizing contact with anyone outside of mom, dad, and siblings.
- If anyone does hold the baby, make sure they wash their hands thoroughly first and avoid kissing the baby.
- Keep tiny baby fingers covered! People are often tempted to touch and hold babies’ hands without even thinking about whether they might be introducing germs, which then inevitably make their way to the baby’s mouth.
Ventilation and filtration help reduce transmission! One of the most valuable lessons that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic was about indoor air quality. Respiratory viruses primarily spread in the air between people. The fewer viruses in the air, the better. Improving ventilation can help you reduce virus levels in your home and reduce the chances that the virus will spread. And yes, simple measures such as opening a window or turning on the air purifier count as improving ventilation!
Review food safety precautions! Raw turkey can contain foodborne germs. Store, thaw, handle and cook turkey, stuffing and leftovers properly to prevent food poisoning. Click the link below for more info. (trust us, your guests will thank you):
