If you are planning to travel for Thanksgiving, read this Twitter thread

Despite the accelerate pace of COVID-19 pandemic through in the United States, millions of people are traveling this week to see their families on Thanksgiving. The gatherings will continue as planned, as if the Centers for Disease Control had not issued a vacation travel warning. With the convergence of masses, a pandemic in its eight months is inevitably expected to worsen, prolonging the downward spiral of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States, the latter now standing at nearly 260,000 people.

Much of the suffering has been invisible to people who haven’t contracted the disease, who haven’t been in financial hardship, or who have seen the virus affect someone they know. For these people, it is useful to demonstrate the real human costs the uncontrolled spread of the virus.

A recent Twitter thread written by a critical care nurse does just that. For those who still want to travel to visit their family in anticipation of Thursday vacation, this will help to point out why you definitely shouldn’t.

Wife, an intensive care nurse who tweeted about his work in COVID treatment patients throughout the pandemic, discuss the emotional toll she will face being quarantined from her daughter during the holidays – a requirement due to her exposure to the virus at work. She attributes the forced separation with the number of cases skyrocketing across the country, caused by dozens of people not wearing masks or refuse to adhere to general guidelines of the medical community.

Negligence inflicts unknown hurt others

The burden on healthcare workers is not entirely the result of treating large numbers of sick patients. There is an emotional dimension that creeps into their lives, especially during times of family centeredness.

Healthcare workers are tired and need a break

The best way to give healthcare workers a much needed break is to stay home this year. It sucks, I know – but it’s more than likely that whatever the precautions your family is implementing for Thanksgiving will not work. Today, the United States sets his 13th consecutive record for COVID hospitalizations. Critical care nurses, doctors and everyone in your local intensive care unit have been battling this pandemic for over eight months.

If I hear that from me – a writer who was able to work safely from home since march – falls flat for you, take it from an intensive care nurse:

Doing everything right is sometimes not enough

Given the mess we’ve made for ourselves, scrupulously respecting the safety instructions by wearing a mask, washing your hands, and avoiding crowds is essential, but sometimes not enough to avoid getting the virus. Even though you tried to live your life in much less social conditions, you may endanger people across a table when sharing a meal. Asymptomatic transmission is the most common was the spread of the disease, according to the CDC, so there’s a chance that even if you’re feeling fine (or negative test), you put everyone in your family at risk.

As you browse the train timetables, browse reservations for latest-second flights, or wait for a bus to bring you home, don’t just think about your family. Think of nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers across the industry. And then stay at home.