Before the onset of Omicron, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines in October for a safe and healthy holiday season.
As the holidays approach, researchers say not so much is known about Omicron. Experts say that following safety tips and precautions may help reduce the spread of the variant.
Experts say staying outdoors for dinners during the holiday may help reduce transmissions. As the holiday season hits full swing, a new COVID-19 Omicron variant has come knocking on the door, potentially disrupting plans for many.
The variant was discovered at the end of November, and researchers are still studying Omicron to understand better its transmissibility as well as the effect of vaccines on neutralizing the virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source.
Experts say the Omicron variant appears to spread far faster than other COVID variants. They remain unsure if it leads to less severe symptoms than other variants.
Despite the rise of the new variant, experts say it’s still possible to celebrate the holiday. But they stress that it is best to take safety measures to protect everyone’s health while enjoying holiday traditions.
Indoor gatherings or outdoor dinners: What works best with Omicron? With Omicron, it’s best to take extra steps to keep social gatherings safe.
“The best policy is to limit the size of gatherings to the more immediate family, given the continued high rate of infection with COVID and the bump in infections after Thanksgiving,” said Dr. Carl Fichtenbaum, professor of clinical medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
“Regardless of whether this is Delta or Omicron, if people gather inside and eat, there’s going to be more transmission. Outside would be preferable but not feasible in many parts of the country.”
If you’re living in a cold climate and not excited about an outdoor gathering in freezing temperatures, Dr. Janice Johnston, family medicine specialist in Glendale, Arizona, and chief medical director and co-founder of Redirect Health, recommends keeping indoor gatherings to a small number of people and maintain social and physical distancing.
But Johnston said that if people are unvaccinated, you may want to bundle up and stay outdoors. “If having your holiday dinner outside is an option, you may want to consider that, especially if you have family members that are at risk or unvaccinated,” she added.
