Meet Dr. Eric Quivers, the Senior Medical Director at My Choice Wisconsin. Each month, he’ll share some thoughts on current health-related topics here on our website. Read on for the latest!

2020 has been a wild year and this holiday season proves to be like no other, as the country is in the grasp of the coronavirus pandemic. People are becoming ill and our hospitals are filling up with COVID-19 patients – this is not a hoax.

As holiday celebrations begin, it’s important to remember the best way to prevent the spread is to avoid gatherings with those outside your household. We know this is especially tough now because it’s the time of year that we look forward to each other’s company and being together. This isn’t the time to let our collective guard down – we need to continue social distancing and wearing masks to stop the spread and, unfortunately, this also means not holding large family gatherings.

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention continues to encourage wearing multilayered masks, physical distancing, and hand washing. Other ideas for celebrating safely include:

• Have a small outdoor meal with family and friends who live in your community.
• Limit the number of guests.
• Have conversations with guests ahead of time to set expectations for celebrating together.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and items between use.
• If celebrating indoors, make sure to open windows.
• Limit the number of people in food preparation areas.
• Have guests bring their own food and drink.
• If sharing food, have one person serve food and use single-use options, like plastic utensils.

This holiday season will not be normal, but it is possible to enjoy the company of friends and family while being safe.