MSNBC Reporter Cory Stieg: "With Omicron Out There, Here’s How To Decide If You Should Celebrate Christmas"
Published by Cory Stieg for CNBC:
Omicron is the unwelcome party guest at everyone’s holiday gatherings this year.
Scientists are still trying to learn about the new Covid variant — including how transmissible it is, how well current vaccines work against it and where its biggest hotspots are. Many of those answers won’t be known for at least a couple weeks, just in time for Christmas.
Without those answers, you may need to ask yourself a tough question: Is it safe to attend a holiday party?
If you’re vaccinated and gathering with other vaccinated people, the answer is a simple “yes,” White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a briefing last week. Ideally, every guest should be boosted, too.
If anyone’s unvaccinated at your party — including small children who aren’t yet vaccine-eligible — or unwilling to share their vaccination status, your decision gets much harder. You’ll face a higher risk of getting sick or transmitting the virus to someone else, even if you’re fully vaccinated yourself.
If you’re hosting such a party, you should rely on a combination of safety strategies, like gathering outdoors, wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
You can also ask your unvaccinated guests to quarantine and get tested before the event, as an additional layer of assurance.
Ultimately, the most reliable way to have safe and festive holiday parties is to get your Covid vaccine and booster when you’re eligible. Even a single dose of a vaccine a few days before the party is better than no vaccine at all, experts say.
Regardless of anyone’s vaccination status, if you have symptoms of Covid or were recently exposed to someone who has it, you should skip the holiday party and get tested. It’s just not worth the risk.
Our latest stories...