COVID-19 is the gift that NOBODY wants!

COVID is not over. Long COVID is a real and not uncommon affliction months after infection, including in children. Hospitals across Canada are not only hit with worse COVID hospitalizations and deaths than in 2021, but RSV and flu this year.

Preventing infection is only sane way to “live with COVID” and other respiratory-transmitted diseases. And our governments— of all stripes— haven’t been doing a great job for explaining why that is, or giving us the tools to do that. This week, Dec 21-27, COVID-19 transmission has been flagged as very high in Saskatchewan by COVID Resources Canada.

Emerging research is telling us that repeated COVID re-infection is dangerous. Before and during the holidays, it’s up to us to do the best we can to not get infected or reinfected with COVID, or infect / re-infect family, friends, and strangers.

Follow our safer holiday gathering checklist:

• Isolate: avoid interactions for at least 4 days before.
• Rapid test: take a test immediately before getting together with friends and family.
• Mask up: get an KN94, N95 or better mask (cloth and surgical masks aren’t good enough).
• Ventilate: if meeting inside, open windows, have outside air circulating
• Be cautious: if you show any symptoms of a cold, flu, or COVID, stay home / isolated.

Be extra cautious if you have not been vaccinated / boosted with a COVID-19 vaccine or have not been infected in the past six months. Getting vaccinated takes about two weeks to be effective.

Don’t let your holidays, work, studies or fun get interrupted by COVID. It sucks, and it sucks for others if you transmit it.

Wear a mask, make others feel good about mask-wearing and taking other COVID prevention measures. Stand up to peer pressure from friends or family to unmask or not bother.

(thanks to COVID Reality Project for the checklist and COVID19resources.ca for the timely forecast.)

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