DENVER (KDVR) — This could be another interesting pandemic Thanksgiving for many families trying to navigate through the holidays with their loved ones.
Nearly 60% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, but chances are, some friends and family aren’t.
So, what’s one to do when it comes to hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year with unvaccinated guests?
Dr. Michelle Barron, senior medical director, Infection Prevention and Control for the University of Colorado Hospital shared advice for hosting holiday gatherings with unvaccinated people.
“You want to have an honest conversation with whoever’s coming and you can decide whether or not that is something that will dictate who comes or who doesn’t come,” Barron suggested. “You just have to be straightforward and honest and say, ’These are my household rules,’ just like all rules we have when we have company, and people can decide whether that works for them or not.”
Barron says there are several ways you can approach this.
“You can ask [guests] to make sure they have no symptoms and truly zero symptoms,” she said.
She also recommends requiring guests to take a rapid test directly before gathering.
“If it’s positive, it’s probably a legitimate reason not to show up at someone’s house. If it’s negative, you want to make sure you have that in the context of not having any symptoms – because I think, again, no test is perfect and you don’t want to be the one who showed up and gave everyone COVID,” Barron added.
Barron says the number of guests you invite depends on your guests’ vaccination status.
If guests feel uncomfortable, Barron says another option is mask-wearing. Experts also advise hosts to open windows, weather permitting, and to set up air purifiers to help with air circulation.