Americans Plan to be Cautious During the Holidays

New research suggests that American are still planning to be cautious of Covid during the holiday celebrations this year.

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center conducted a survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults. The results? Half of survey respondents said they plan to ask their guests to wear masks and nearly three-fourths said they plan to only celebrate with members of their household.

In addition, 50 percent said they’ll ask about their guests vaccination status and 46 percent will require unvaccinated guests to test negative for Covid-19 before attending the gathering.

Experts recommend you and your guests wear masks to stay safe this holiday season.

“This year, we’re still thinking about those precautions, we’re thinking more than ever about the importance of vaccination. However, we’re looking at the holiday season as a season in which the threat and the risk is going to be
decreasing rather than increasing,” said Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser from Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

Health experts advise hosts to ask about vaccination status before extending an invite. You should also try to keep gatherings and celebrations small and consider celebrating only with those in your household or family.

“Unvaccinated individuals are the greatest risk right now. They’re the greatest risk to themselves and they’re the greatest risk to the rest of the population as well, including those who are vaccinated,” said Gonsenhauser.

If you’re traveling this holiday season experts said it’s a good idea to check the website of the health department in the area you’re visiting, as Covid precautions and mandates change quickly and vary by state, county and city.