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Covid Safety for the Holidays
Alison Gillmen, PA-C explains how the holidays might look different this year due to the pandemic, and how to celebrate the holidays safely.
Featuring:
Alison Gillmen, PA-C
Alison Gillmen, PA-C, joins UPMC Primary Care, Heartland Family Health, as the newest member of the care team. She received a master's degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA and a bachelor’s degree from The Pennsylvania State University. She has a special interest in treating the whole family (all ages) with lifestyle modifications when appropriate, before utilizing medications. Transcription:
Host: The holidays are here and after dealing with this virus, which seems like forever, many just want to be with their families this holiday season. However, that may be the worst thing you can do. So with us to discuss the concerns of the virus spreading during holiday celebrations is Alison Gillmen, a primary care provider at UPMC Primary Care.
This is Healthier You, a podcast from UPMC Pinnacle. I'm Bill Klaproth. Alison, thank you so much for your time. It is great to talk with you. So this is the big question of the season, how serious are the concerns of the virus spreading during holiday celebrations?
Alison Gillmen: Increased spread over the holidays is a real concern. We should do everything we can to celebrate responsibly. The last thing any family member wants is to accidentally infect a loved one. The safest and smartest way to celebrate this year, of course, is to stay home and hold a more intimate holiday gathering with immediate family only. Anytime you bring two families together or add any family member living elsewhere, we risk introducing COVID to these family members as well as risk them taking the virus home to others who live in their household or their workplace.
Keep in mind that a lot of COVID spread is asymptomatic. So, you know, it's not necessarily safe to say, "Okay. We all feel great. We don't have symptoms, so I don't think grandma will catch anything coming over for Thanksgiving." And what increases risk even more is the fact that the holidays involve a lot of eating and drinking. So this increases the risk of both droplet and airborne transmission and we know that COVID is transmitted in both ways.
Host: Yeah. So I know there are several factors to think about when considering family celebrations, you just touched on a couple of them. Let me ask you a few more though. What about the factors considering location?
Alison Gillmen: The safest way to gather this year, of course, is, virtually, whether it's zoom, FaceTime, et cetera. Setting aside an hour or two before or after your meal to gather with other family members or other households virtually. That'll allow you to catch up with family without the risk of infecting anybody.
This way you don't need to also limit the number of people at your gathering and can all socialize at once. And another idea is to gather virtually in shifts. Have appetizers with one set of grandparents over zoom and dessert with the other. And if grandma and grandpa or a certain family member can't figure out virtual part of things, over the phone would be the better idea rather than gathering in person.
Host: Right. So when it comes to gathering in person, if somebody says, "You know what, I feel safe with, just a couple of family members coming over." What about duration? Is that something we need to be concerned about?
Alison Gillmen: Yeah. So you should really keep it short and sweet this year. If somebody is infected at the gathering, the longer that you are in close proximity to that person, the higher your chance of contracting it. Of course, the things we've been all doing for the past six months will help, face masks, hand-washing, social distancing when you can. When you're indoors with a bunch of other people and other households, some spread is inevitable.
Host: And then number of people, I know that varies from state to state, what is the advice right now for number of people?
Alison Gillmen: Based on with the state that you live, there are specific guidelines. But honestly, medically, if we're talking about being a safe as possible, the fewer people, the better. Again, keeping it to just your household is best. Every additional household that you do add, like I said, you're possibly increasing your risk of spreading something either to you or from you.
Host: So we just need to be clear about this. The advice is do not gather this year for all the reasons that Alison has just been talking about. You did mention masks and we know masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19. If you were to have a small family gathering, or somebody wants just to come over to say hi or drop something off, if you all have masks on in the house and you're not in there for five hours, is that somewhat acceptable?
Alison Gillmen: That would absolutely be a safer option. We can't say that there's no risk other than not gathering. That is the only thing, not inviting people over or not heading to somebody else's house is the only thing that we can say would prevent the spread for sure.
Host: So then what steps, if a family does decide to gather, which again the advice is not to, what steps can people take to lower their risk if they do decide to gather?
Alison Gillmen: So, if you do decide to gather with other households in person, there are a few things to consider and there's actually a lot that you can do to make it safer this year. First of all, have family members screen themselves before arriving together. So don't come if you have any cold symptoms, if you're not sure if you've been exposed to a COVID positive individual within the past two weeks, and obviously if you are awaiting COVID test results. And consider asking family members to take their temperatures prior to arriving. It should be below 100.4 degrees without the use of Tylenol or ibuprofen. When you do arrive, no hugs, no kisses. Don't even do fist bumps. Wave from afar is the best thing to do this holiday season.
Another thing you can do, of course, we already touched on this, limit the time of in-person gathering. So if you really want to get together, make it short, sweet, have your meal 30 to 60 minutes and then go home. Limiting the number of households and the number of people in the household that gather, we talked about that as well. And take careful consideration to who you're inviting. You have family members who you know do not adhere to the prevention measures, like they don't wash their hands frequently, they don't believe in mask wearing, social distancing. don't be afraid not to invite those people this year. You have to protect yourself and your family. And they are going to be the higher risk individuals to be carrying the virus.
Other things you can do if weather permits, absolutely hold it outdoors. That's the best way to do it. But, you know, this is late November, so that might not be an option. In a garage would be a better option with the garage door open where, you know, you have some airflow, some ventilation. Or in an all seasons room, if you have a screened-in porch or anything to allow more air to flow so that you're not locked between four walls. Opening windows would help. Encourage people to dress warm.
And of course, social distancing as much as possible. If you have two families getting together, have one eat in the kitchen at the table and have the other family eat in the dining room, or, you know, even set up trays in the family room, whatever you can to keep distance while you have your masks off while you're eating. Washing hands frequently, of course, hand sanitizer as well.
And then if you do gather for a prolonged period of time, I would encourage cleaning the bathroom every hour. Like we've said, the best way that it's transmitted is through coughs, sneezes really through your mouth, Door handles, toilet handles, sink handles, those are not off limits. You can absolutely pick it up there too. The other thing is limit frequent touching of the same surface. So having maybe two people serve everybody's plates rather than everybody walking through and handling a serving spoon. That would be a good thing.
And one thing that people don't always think about is alcohol use. Keep alcohol use at a minimum. If you're drinking moderate to heavy alcohol, that can cloud your judgment. That means letting your guard down, maybe not being as vigilant, maintaining social distancing, mask wearing.
Most importantly, consider your own risk. If anybody in your household has lung disease like asthma, COPD, heart disease, is undergoing chemotherapy or any other condition that places them at a high risk of having COVID complications, just stay home. It's not worth it. Introverts, this is your year, take advantage of it and just say, you know, "We're just going to protect ourselves and stay home."
Host: Well, Alison, thank you so much. You have given us a wealth of tips and things to think about if a family does decide to gather this holiday season. And again, the advice is not to, but if you feel like you must, those are some great tips and things to remember. This has really been informative. Alison, thank you so much for your time.
Thank you for having me.
That's Alison Gillmen. And to make an appointment with Alison, please contact Heartland Family Health at (717) 627-4088 or visit UPMCPinnacle.com. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you.
This is Healthier You, a podcast from UPMC Pinnacle. Please stay safe this holiday season. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
Host: The holidays are here and after dealing with this virus, which seems like forever, many just want to be with their families this holiday season. However, that may be the worst thing you can do. So with us to discuss the concerns of the virus spreading during holiday celebrations is Alison Gillmen, a primary care provider at UPMC Primary Care.
This is Healthier You, a podcast from UPMC Pinnacle. I'm Bill Klaproth. Alison, thank you so much for your time. It is great to talk with you. So this is the big question of the season, how serious are the concerns of the virus spreading during holiday celebrations?
Alison Gillmen: Increased spread over the holidays is a real concern. We should do everything we can to celebrate responsibly. The last thing any family member wants is to accidentally infect a loved one. The safest and smartest way to celebrate this year, of course, is to stay home and hold a more intimate holiday gathering with immediate family only. Anytime you bring two families together or add any family member living elsewhere, we risk introducing COVID to these family members as well as risk them taking the virus home to others who live in their household or their workplace.
Keep in mind that a lot of COVID spread is asymptomatic. So, you know, it's not necessarily safe to say, "Okay. We all feel great. We don't have symptoms, so I don't think grandma will catch anything coming over for Thanksgiving." And what increases risk even more is the fact that the holidays involve a lot of eating and drinking. So this increases the risk of both droplet and airborne transmission and we know that COVID is transmitted in both ways.
Host: Yeah. So I know there are several factors to think about when considering family celebrations, you just touched on a couple of them. Let me ask you a few more though. What about the factors considering location?
Alison Gillmen: The safest way to gather this year, of course, is, virtually, whether it's zoom, FaceTime, et cetera. Setting aside an hour or two before or after your meal to gather with other family members or other households virtually. That'll allow you to catch up with family without the risk of infecting anybody.
This way you don't need to also limit the number of people at your gathering and can all socialize at once. And another idea is to gather virtually in shifts. Have appetizers with one set of grandparents over zoom and dessert with the other. And if grandma and grandpa or a certain family member can't figure out virtual part of things, over the phone would be the better idea rather than gathering in person.
Host: Right. So when it comes to gathering in person, if somebody says, "You know what, I feel safe with, just a couple of family members coming over." What about duration? Is that something we need to be concerned about?
Alison Gillmen: Yeah. So you should really keep it short and sweet this year. If somebody is infected at the gathering, the longer that you are in close proximity to that person, the higher your chance of contracting it. Of course, the things we've been all doing for the past six months will help, face masks, hand-washing, social distancing when you can. When you're indoors with a bunch of other people and other households, some spread is inevitable.
Host: And then number of people, I know that varies from state to state, what is the advice right now for number of people?
Alison Gillmen: Based on with the state that you live, there are specific guidelines. But honestly, medically, if we're talking about being a safe as possible, the fewer people, the better. Again, keeping it to just your household is best. Every additional household that you do add, like I said, you're possibly increasing your risk of spreading something either to you or from you.
Host: So we just need to be clear about this. The advice is do not gather this year for all the reasons that Alison has just been talking about. You did mention masks and we know masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19. If you were to have a small family gathering, or somebody wants just to come over to say hi or drop something off, if you all have masks on in the house and you're not in there for five hours, is that somewhat acceptable?
Alison Gillmen: That would absolutely be a safer option. We can't say that there's no risk other than not gathering. That is the only thing, not inviting people over or not heading to somebody else's house is the only thing that we can say would prevent the spread for sure.
Host: So then what steps, if a family does decide to gather, which again the advice is not to, what steps can people take to lower their risk if they do decide to gather?
Alison Gillmen: So, if you do decide to gather with other households in person, there are a few things to consider and there's actually a lot that you can do to make it safer this year. First of all, have family members screen themselves before arriving together. So don't come if you have any cold symptoms, if you're not sure if you've been exposed to a COVID positive individual within the past two weeks, and obviously if you are awaiting COVID test results. And consider asking family members to take their temperatures prior to arriving. It should be below 100.4 degrees without the use of Tylenol or ibuprofen. When you do arrive, no hugs, no kisses. Don't even do fist bumps. Wave from afar is the best thing to do this holiday season.
Another thing you can do, of course, we already touched on this, limit the time of in-person gathering. So if you really want to get together, make it short, sweet, have your meal 30 to 60 minutes and then go home. Limiting the number of households and the number of people in the household that gather, we talked about that as well. And take careful consideration to who you're inviting. You have family members who you know do not adhere to the prevention measures, like they don't wash their hands frequently, they don't believe in mask wearing, social distancing. don't be afraid not to invite those people this year. You have to protect yourself and your family. And they are going to be the higher risk individuals to be carrying the virus.
Other things you can do if weather permits, absolutely hold it outdoors. That's the best way to do it. But, you know, this is late November, so that might not be an option. In a garage would be a better option with the garage door open where, you know, you have some airflow, some ventilation. Or in an all seasons room, if you have a screened-in porch or anything to allow more air to flow so that you're not locked between four walls. Opening windows would help. Encourage people to dress warm.
And of course, social distancing as much as possible. If you have two families getting together, have one eat in the kitchen at the table and have the other family eat in the dining room, or, you know, even set up trays in the family room, whatever you can to keep distance while you have your masks off while you're eating. Washing hands frequently, of course, hand sanitizer as well.
And then if you do gather for a prolonged period of time, I would encourage cleaning the bathroom every hour. Like we've said, the best way that it's transmitted is through coughs, sneezes really through your mouth, Door handles, toilet handles, sink handles, those are not off limits. You can absolutely pick it up there too. The other thing is limit frequent touching of the same surface. So having maybe two people serve everybody's plates rather than everybody walking through and handling a serving spoon. That would be a good thing.
And one thing that people don't always think about is alcohol use. Keep alcohol use at a minimum. If you're drinking moderate to heavy alcohol, that can cloud your judgment. That means letting your guard down, maybe not being as vigilant, maintaining social distancing, mask wearing.
Most importantly, consider your own risk. If anybody in your household has lung disease like asthma, COPD, heart disease, is undergoing chemotherapy or any other condition that places them at a high risk of having COVID complications, just stay home. It's not worth it. Introverts, this is your year, take advantage of it and just say, you know, "We're just going to protect ourselves and stay home."
Host: Well, Alison, thank you so much. You have given us a wealth of tips and things to think about if a family does decide to gather this holiday season. And again, the advice is not to, but if you feel like you must, those are some great tips and things to remember. This has really been informative. Alison, thank you so much for your time.
Thank you for having me.
That's Alison Gillmen. And to make an appointment with Alison, please contact Heartland Family Health at (717) 627-4088 or visit UPMCPinnacle.com. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you.
This is Healthier You, a podcast from UPMC Pinnacle. Please stay safe this holiday season. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.