New Year’s Eve parties are a “Covid-19 dream”. Here’s why they can be particularly dangerous

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“Concretely what this means is that if you go to a party with five or more people, there will almost certainly be someone with Covid-19 at that party.”

Any gathering with people outside of your special bubble is risky. But there are several reasons why New Years parties can be especially dangerous:

Scientists now know that the coronavirus “can linger in the air for minutes to hours,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

“These viruses may be able to infect people who are more than 6 feet from the infected person or after that person has left space.”

Guests may not wear a mask all the time: Whether they’re toasting champagne at midnight or munching on snacks all night long, partygoers will likely take off their masks – if they’re wearing one.

New mask allows people to drink without removing their mask
Even if the event is small, anyone outside of your social distancing bubble could be infected or infect other people.

“If you’re having a party in your neighborhood, or if you’re just inviting friends over, there’s a pretty high risk,” Hotez said.

Young people may think they are invincible: Even young, previously healthy people have suffered from long-term complications from Covid-19.

“We are seeing serious illnesses in healthy young adults with no apparent underlying cause,” Hotez said.

“Whether that’s due to … a higher dose of the virus, if they have genetic alterations that they don’t know about – we just don’t understand. So we can’t reliably predict who is going to handle it well. this virus and who does not. “

Covid-19 can be a prolonged illness, even for young adults, says CDC
Some young people have experienced long-term brain fog, difficulty breathing and extreme fatigue months after infection.

Other complications can include “long-term vascular damage, cardiovascular damage, lung damage, neurological effects, as well as cognitive impairment,” Hotez said.

In general, younger people are often more likely to be asymptomatic than older people. But that poses another problem: the risk of spreading the coronavirus to many people without knowing it.

Party people might sing or shout: Singing and shouting can be dangerously effective ways to launch the coronavirus into the air.

In Washington state, for example, 53 members of a choir fell ill (and two people died) after one member attended rehearsals and later tested positive for Covid-19.

New Year’s Eve parties are ‘a Covid-19 dream’

Because the coronavirus is very contagious, “it doesn’t take a lot for it to get out of hand,” Hotez said.

Why the coronavirus can linger and travel more than 6 feet - especially indoors
“Loud voices to make your voice heard over music. The lack of masks. The fact that they are inside. The fact that people drink alcohol so they can be closer to each other than usual. These New Years Eve parties are perfectly suited for SARS-CoV-2, ”or the scientific name for the novel coronavirus.

“It’s a Covid-19 dream for the virus, unfortunately,” Hotez said.

“All of these reasons are important reasons why we shouldn’t get together on this New Year’s Eve.”

Is there a safe way to celebrate the New Year?

“Yes, absolutely – with whoever you socially distance yourself,” Hotez said.
The CDC has a long list of ideas on how to safely celebrate the New Year. Among them:

– Host a virtual party with friends and celebrate the countdown together.

Want to spend time with friends (without a mask) this winter? Make a Covid-19 bubble

– Schedule a neighborhood countdown until midnight. Neighbors can come out and cheer from the front of their house.

– Choose a special meal at a local restaurant to share with your household.

– Watch the celebrations on TV or online.

– Call, text or leave voice messages to your friends and family wishing them a happy new year.

If you already have plans for a big party, don’t be afraid to cancel them to ensure a good start to 2021.

“It doesn’t matter if you decide to postpone or cancel your rally,” the CDC says. “Do what’s best for you.”

And don’t worry, this will likely be the last time health experts ask you to squat on New Years Eve.

“Once we start getting vaccinated we will be in a much better position by the middle of next year,” Hotez said. “And we can have a much happier New Year 2022.”

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