Are you vaccinated?’ and other new Thanksgiving traditions in Michigan – Bridge Michigan
Other tests include the QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test and the BD Veritor at-Home COVID-19 Digital Test, both sold in packs of two tests and available online for under $30. A full list of FDA-authorized tests can be found here. Use the search word “home.”
But order them now. These and other tests have been disappearing from shelves since late summer.
Can we eat buffet style again?
Go for it — within reason.
A growing body of research shows that the principal way COVID is spread is through respiratory droplets, for more so than in food or on surfaces. That’s a big turn from early last year when lab studies indicated the virus could survive on surfaces for hours or even days. Michiganders were wiping down groceries, car door handles and even cereal boxes.
Real-world experience since then has shown that fomite transmission — the spread from surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, shared serving utensils — is “not zero, but it’s miniscule,” said Dr. Subhashis Mitra, an infectious disease specialist at MSU Health Care.
The bigger concern with a buffet-style dinner is that it once again puts people shoulder-to-shoulder with each other, and that includes a possible COVID carrier beside someone with low protection against the virus, said Chopra, at Wayne State. Masking and maintaining distance between guests can help reduce that respiratory-spread risk, she said.
Is it safe to fly?
Sure, planes are closed, packed spaces. But for that reason, airplanes are fitted with filters that clean the air constantly, said U-M’s Ibrahim and MSU’s Mitra.
That’s why planes filter and cycle air frequently — 25 times an hour or more, according to a report last year by Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Many airlines also demand proof of a negative COVID test before boarding a plane.
“Airplanes are very safe. That’s what we know from other infections, not just coronavirus,” said Mitra.
Of course, air filtering is no guarantee. And no part of the passenger cabin is safer than any other against COVID, according to research cited by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
The biggest risk is being seated close to an infected person — a peril that’s likely impossible to avoid since passengers don’t know each other’s health status. A person carrying COVID may not even know they’re infected, especially if they’re asymptomatic or recently infected.
That’s why masks should be worn at all times while in public, experts told Bridge. The Swiss cheese approach comes into play again, too. Keep space between you and fellow travelers, especially in tightly packed crowds at airports and rest stops.
How do I finesse tough conversations with guests?
The key is in planning ahead and understanding your intent, two experts told Bridge.
Wayne State University’s Corvino knows something about tense talks, after years of learning to calmly debate the issue of gay rights on national stages with people deeply opposed to gay marriage. His new book is tentatively titled “How to be a Raging Moderate.”
While some topics are crucial in setting expectations for a holiday gathering, others are probably better to avoid.
“I think it’s important for the speaker to ask not only ‘Am I right? Is this backed up by good evidence?’ but also, ‘How will the listener hear what I’m saying? What kind of reaction will it get?’ And if the answers point to an explosion, the speaker should choose accordingly,” Corvino advised.