Dr. Pissed Off: How to handle COVID holidays
Test everyone on the way into the gathering and if positive to the dungeon with you.
Holiday COVID tips
Let’s talk about vaccines and masks. It is simple, and not worth arguing about, losing friends over, or worsening the normal cracks that occur in family foundations.
Vaccines are for the person who takes the jab. It will not prevent you from getting infected with COVID, but it will prevent you from dying. Get it or not, you can decide for yourself. Vaccinated, and unvaccinated people can still infect each other, so why restrict interactions based on one’s vaccine status? If you do use this as a reason not to get together you probably have other motivating factors. That is life and human behavior is imperfect at best.
Masks are for me and you. Since all of us can be infected with COVID then the mask just makes it less likely for me to give it to you and you to me if either or both of us are infected. This is truly an indoor issue because COVID is transmitted through the air, not via surfaces . If you are breathing air that contains the virus (read indoors) then make the choice for yourself. Don’t get me talking about the incongruity of entering a restaurant where the staff is wearing masks, but none of the patrons are masked, or wear masks upon entering ,and take them off once seated.
The booster? Get it six months after your last vaccine. Which one? Whichever is available, unless you are a woman below the age of 50, in which case do not get the J and J. Nothing more to say on this topic.
What if you have already had COVID? Sorry to hear that, and I hope you have fully recovered. Get vaccinated. No hall passes here. Unless you get COVID every few months and boost your immunity that way, get vaccinated. Don’t act like you are anything but unlucky. You can get it again– no further comment necessary.
What if the family is still talking by this point, and lucky enough to be healthy enough, and wants to get together for the holidays? Some are vaccinated, some not. Some are old, some young. Some red, some blue and some purple. Who cares? Get an antigen test from your local pharmacy (approx. $25 for 2 tests). Test everyone on the way into the gathering and if positive to the dungeon with you. Otherwise eat, drink and be merry. ER