How to Be COVID-Safe During the Holidays in Groups

With the holiday season upon us, many people are looking forward to spending time celebrating with family and friends. Unfortunately, the dark cloud hanging over this holiday season is the fact that COVID still exists and continues to be a very serious concern. While it is still recommended that people conduct virtual holiday celebrations this year, we at St. Jude Labs understand that this solution is not ideal for everyone. With that said, let’s take a look at a few helpful tips on how you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe while holidaying in groups this year.

Avoid Direct Contact

While handshakes and hugs are no doubt things that make the holiday season all the merrier, they are probably best avoided this year. If at all possible, try to stay at least six feet away from everyone else that you are spending the holidays with. Even if you are not able to maintain a distance of six feet, though, you will want to try your best to avoid any direct physical contact with other people.

Wear Your Mask

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), mask-wearing leads to a 70% reduced risk of spreading or contracting COVID-19. If you are concerned about keeping yourself and your loved ones safe this holiday season, be sure to mask up for any in-person gatherings. Of course, it’s also a good idea to encourage others in your party to wear their mask as well since masks are more effective at preventing a person from spreading the virus than they are at preventing someone from contracting the virus themselves.

Wash Your Hands Frequently

We were told since the beginning of the pandemic that frequent hand washing is one of the best ways to reduce your chances of contracting the virus, and that remains true today. Wash your hands as often as possible before, during, and after in-person gathering in order to both reduce the chances of you contracting COVID-19 as well as reduce your chances of spreading it to others.

Get Vaccinated

The verdict is in, and the science could not possibly be more clear: the COVID-19 vaccine is both safe and effective. Not only does the COVID-19 vaccine help reduce your likelihood of developing serious, potentially life-threatening symptoms, it is also able to help prevent you from spreading the virus to others by reducing your viral load. In other words, those who are vaccinated against COVID-19 “shed” far less of the virus if they do contract it in addition to experiencing milder symptoms. This makes getting vaccinated against COVID-19 by far the most effective measure that you can take to protect yourself and others alike this holiday season.

Get Tested for COVID-19

Prior to any in-person holiday gatherings, it’s a good idea to get tested for COVID-19 so that you are able to rest assured that you are free of the virus and not a risk to those you will be in contact with. COVID-19 testing is safe, affordable, and highly accurate, allowing you to determine in a mere matter of minutes whether or not you are infected with the virus. By getting tested before your holiday gatherings, you can at the very least have peace of mind knowing that you are not spreading the virus to others.

Contact St. Jude Labs to Schedule COVID-19 Testing

At St. Jude Labs, we are committed to keeping everyone safe and healthy this holiday season. If you would like to get tested for COVID-19 prior to your upcoming holiday gathering, we at St. Jude Labs are able to help. To get tested for COVID-19 using either a PCR test or a serum antibody test, feel free to contact us today to schedule a COVID-19 testing appointment.