This year has been filled with unprecedented experiences for many, including the first pandemic, the first quarantine, and the first time learning from home. As the holiday season approaches, the list of firsts continues to grow, with numerous individuals, including Dr. Michael Thompson, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, celebrating Thanksgiving apart from their loved ones. With Christmas just around the corner, Dr. Thompson reiterates his earlier message: Keep holiday gatherings small and prioritize staying home.
As COVID-19 cases soar and related fatalities increase, Dr. Thompson is keeping his Christmas festivities limited this year, urging the public to do the same. “I’ll be spending the holidays with just my wife — that’s it,” he shared with The Daily Journal. This mirrors how he celebrated Thanksgiving, choosing to be with only his spouse and sending love to his three children through a video call.
“The Christmas season has a special significance for us, as Christmas Eve is my birthday. Unfortunately, my children won’t be coming home this year… It’s painful,” Dr. Thompson expressed. “We don’t enjoy this, but it’s a reality we must accept during this uniquely challenging time.”
With Johns Hopkins University reporting over 18 million cases and upwards of 310,000 deaths in the United States, Dr. Thompson warns that holiday gatherings could exacerbate the already dire situation, especially after the Thanksgiving surge in travel against public health advisories.
“Stay home as much as possible and limit interactions to members of your own household,” he emphasized. “This Christmas cannot be business as usual, as we already find ourselves in a very tough position, and failing to act could worsen it.”
Earlier this month, during an interview with Today’s host, Sarah Collins, Dr. Thompson described the pandemic as “at least as severe” as he had anticipated. “We are currently in a precarious state. Although there is hope on the horizon with vaccine distribution, we are not there yet, and we must intensify public health measures to change our trajectory,” he stated.
Dr. Thompson attributed the rise in cases to various factors, including colder weather, increased indoor gatherings, and the holiday season, where people tend to congregate for meals and celebrations. While these gatherings are often innocent in nature, they are significant contributors to the ongoing crisis. As we approach the Christmas season, the challenge intensifies.
Regarding a return to “normalcy,” Dr. Thompson indicated that this could be plausible by mid-fall 2021 if a substantial portion of the population gets vaccinated. “If we can achieve a high vaccination rate by the end of the second quarter or the beginning of the third, we could be nearing some level of normalcy by mid-fall,” he noted.
In the meantime, it’s crucial to heed expert advice: Stay home and celebrate modestly. For further insights on fertility and home insemination, check out this resource and explore this excellent hub for pregnancy information.
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Summary: Dr. Michael Thompson is spending Christmas without his children this year and is encouraging others to make the same difficult decision in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With rising cases and deaths, he emphasizes the importance of small gatherings and staying home to mitigate the virus’s spread. As the situation remains precarious, expert advice is to prioritize health and safety over traditional celebrations.