.jpg)
This holiday season we have the opportunity to give our friends, family and community the greatest gift of all - the gift of health! By celebrating the winter holidays safely and responsibly we can help protect our health and the health of others by slowing the spread of Covid-19. Taking precautions and following the recommended guidelines will also help to not overwhelm our hospitals and front line medical workers.
The biggest risk for the spread of covid-19 during the winter, where we are seeking shelter and comfort indoors from the cold, are typically small gatherings inside your home. Gathering indoors makes it difficult to maintain a safe distance, food & drink results in removal of masks and closed doors and windows reduce proper ventilation. For these reasons, we recommend celebrating the holidays only with those that live in your own household. Yes, holiday celebrations will look a bit different this year but let’s all keep focus on maintaining our health and safety so that we may truly celebrate next year. We are all in this together.
Unlike pandemics long in our history’s past, many of us are now privileged to have access to technology that allows us to connect and share like never before. There are various video call and video conferencing options available that can bring your family together while you are apart such as Google Hangouts, Facetime and Zoom. This is an amazing asset and gift that we should take advantage of this holiday season. Airlines are also being very forgiving in waiving flight change fees or giving credit for future flights. Please explore your options to have a warm and safe holiday at home.
If you do choose to gather with those outside of your household, we hope that you are mindful of the health and age of your contacts, the length of time you spend together (short visits are better than long ones) and to please wear a mask and wash your hands frequently while indoors. In addition, it would also be a good idea to monitor your symptoms and to get tested if possible. For patients of the practice that intend to travel, now or in the future during the winter months or the duration of the pandemic, we invite you to speak with your HealthBridge provider to discuss the risks and to understand a plan to travel as safely as possible including a proper quarantine and testing protocol. Patients of HealthBridge have access to a number of covid testing options including rapid testing.
Here are some helpful links to read more about covid-19 and the winter holidays:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/coping-holiday-stress.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/winter.html
A Tribute To Frontline Medical Workers
Dr. David Edelson was honored to be asked to join violinist Joshua Bell in a performance of Vivaldi's "Winter" in a live-stream video produced by "Live From Carnegie Hall". This is a tribute to the incredible frontline medical workers caring for Covid patients around the country.
.jpg)
