Ghost of Christmas…Mask?

WE DON’T mean to be Scrooge-like, but facts are facts. Covid19 is still here.

Vaccines are coming left, right and centre. Active cases have dipped. More than 6,000 locals have recovered.

No one should be fooled.

All the experts agree. For the moment, covid19 remains a threat in this country. And Christmas may well be a “super-spreader” event. Families and loved ones will gather in clusters. Some will unite after months of separation due to closed borders or shielding.

Seeking joy, we could well end up with sorrow.

“Our three largest clusters arose because of family gatherings,” Dr Tiffany Hoyte, county medical officer in Tobago, said this week. “This was not due to friends gathering. It was strictly family members who had social gatherings, and as a result of that we have had three large clusters.”

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) officials last month recommended special steps be taken in relation to holiday gatherings.

“They should be held outside, when possible, and participants should wear masks and maintain physical distance,” said PAHO assistant director Dr Jarbas Barbosa. “If held indoors, limiting group size and choosing well-ventilated areas can help reduce exposure.”

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) went as far as to advise Europeans to wear masks even when going to see family.

“It may feel awkward to wear masks and practise physical distancing when around friends and family, but doing so contributes significantly to ensuring that everyone remains safe and healthy,” the body advised.

Our weather affords us greater ventilation than countries in temperate climates. But the physics of transmission remains the same.

So bah, humbug.

If you insist on gathering with your family, at the very least wear a mask.

Try to maintain social distance.

Work out a way to do so while eating and opening gifts.

Limit numbers.

Prioritise celebrating with immediate family, as opposed to the cousins you see once a year.

It also goes without saying that activities like shopping remain fraught with risks and all the rules adopted in the last few months remain in force.

The Prime Minister says 461,000 doses of a vaccine are coming but that is no reason to let go.

In relation to vaccines, we are yet to receive any definitive timeline from any local official, though Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has assured they will be free and outlined an order of precedence for recipients.

This week, one vaccine earmarked for local usage – from Moderna, 94 per cent effective – was endorsed by US agencies. But even after it arrives it must be remembered two shots will be required, a month apart.

Administering the vaccine will be a lengthy and cumbersome process to plan and carry out, and there are still unanswered questions, such as for how long it will provide protection.

So this Christmas the best gift you can give your family is simple. Follow the rules. Wear a mask.