Patient Blog
Published: November 17, 2020

Giving Thanks in a Challenging Year

2020 has been a tough year. Which is all the more reason to look forward to our annual celebration of family and food. Thanksgiving is a chance to come together and take stock of our good fortunes.

But travelling, stress and even some foods can trigger asthma and COPD symptoms (plus COVID-19 is still a big concern). Read on to prepare…

Advice for a safe and happy Thanksgiving

If you’re considering any kind of Thanksgiving celebration, the CDC has a great article about Holiday Celebrations that can help you and your family stay as safe as possible.

Their list of lower-risk Thanksgiving activities includes:

  • Having a small dinner with only people who live in your household
  • Preparing traditional family recipes for family and neighbors, especially those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and delivering them in a way that doesn’t involve contact with others
  • Having a virtual dinner and sharing recipes with friends and family
  • Shopping online rather than in person on the day after Thanksgiving or the next Monday
  • Watching sports events, parades, and movies from home

Read more…

There’s an article at NPR called, Thanksgiving In The Time Of COVID-19: To Grandmother’s House Or No? If your heart is set on having a get-together, Dr. Tina Tan, pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine talks about some things you can do to protect yourself.

Read more…

At WebMD, five experts on COVID-19 share their Thanksgiving advice. For example, Cameron Wolfe, MD, Infectious Disease Expert, Duke University shares some travel advice:

“We recognize travel is an added risk because it moves your little bubble of people who you hang around with and engages with another bubble who you weren’t hanging around with and blends risk, then potentially you bring it back,” he says.

When possible, travel by car. If you have to use public transport, choose direct routes to lessen stops. And prepare for your trip by locking yourself down for 10 to 14 days before you go. Order groceries. Limit your trips out of the house. Avoid close contact with others.

Read more…

If you have questions about your health, or you’re not feeling well, contact your healthcare provider by phone or visit their website to determine whether you should be seen in-person.

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