The top infectious disease expert says you will want to rethink inviting everyone over for Thanksgiving dinner this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr. Anthony Fauci told CBS News that holiday traditions, such as large gatherings with extended family, need to be canceled to keep people safe from the COVID-19 outbreak.
“That is, unfortunately, a risk, when you have people coming from out of town, gathering together in an indoor setting. It is unfortunate because that’s such a sacred part of American tradition — the family gathering around Thanksgiving. But that is a risk,” Fauci said.
“You may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering unless you’re pretty certain that the people that you’re dealing with are not infected,” Fauci told CBS News.
The CBS News interview is not the only time Fauci has urged Americans to rethink their holiday plans.
Earlier this month, he said he will not be celebrating Thanksgiving with his children and their families.
“We would love for them to come home for Thanksgiving. They have said themselves, ‘Dad, you know you’re a young, vigorous guy, but you’re 79 years old,'” Fauci told CNBC.
He said that his children will join them via Zoom.
There have been at least 215,000 deaths in the U.S., with more than 7,875,000 cases across the country, The Washington Post reported.
The New York Times reported that the country is approaching a third peak due to states in the Midwest and rural areas setting record weekly case numbers.
The Northeast saw its peak in mid-April, the South in mid-July and the West in late July, the Times reported.
More coronavirus pandemic coverage:
>> Coronavirus: CDC acknowledges airborne transmission of COVID-19
>> Is it COVID-19, flu, cold or allergies? What is causing you to feel sick this year
>> Coronavirus: CDC updates guidance for COVID-19 testing
>> Dangerous hand sanitizer list up to more than 150 products, FDA announces
>> Wash your masks: How to clean a cloth face covering
>> Fact check: Will masks lower the oxygen level, raise the carbon dioxide in your blood?
>> How to not let coronavirus pandemic fatigue set in, battle back if it does
Cox Media Group
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