Dr. Fauci Warns Americans Against Thanksgiving Gatherings: “You may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering”

Dr. Fauci is warning Americans against gathering with friends and family for Thanksgiving given the resurgence of Covid-19 across much of the nation. He is urging Americans to consider doing Thanksgiving differently this year in order to protect one another.

I don’t know about you, but I just can’t. I *NEED* Thanksgiving. It’s been such a long, difficult year. I just want to gather for a day with family in gratefulness and relaxation.

I don’t say this because the virus doesn’t exist or because it doesn’t kill people. It is very real and has killed over 200,000 Americans. Heck, although the chances are very slim, I might die if/when I catch it. But, I want to live my life in the meantime, taking reasonable precautions, but still living life!

From CBS News:

The surge could be made worse as families across the country travel and gather for the holiday season. Fauci said some beloved traditions, like big Thanksgiving gatherings, may need to be avoided this year to keep people safe.

“That is unfortunately a risk, when you have people coming from out of town, gathering together in an indoor setting,” he said. “It is unfortunate, because that’s such a sacred part of American tradition — the family gathering around Thanksgiving. But that is a risk.”

Asked what his advice would be to Americans making plans for the November holiday, Fauci said they should evaluate the status of cases across the country.

“Given the fluid and dynamic nature of what’s going on right now in the spread and the uptick of infections, I think people should be very careful and prudent about social gatherings, particularly when members of the family might be at a risk because of their age or their underlying condition,” he said, adding, “You may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering, unless you’re pretty certain that the people that you’re dealing with are not infected.”

He said that his own family’s Thanksgiving “is going to look very different this year.” He shared that his children, who live in three different states, have decided not to return home in order to protect his health, since at 79 years old he is considered at higher risk.

“They themselves, because of their concern for me and my age, have decided they’re not going to come home for Thanksgiving — even though all three of them want very much to come home for Thanksgiving.”

Are you altering your Thanksgiving plans due to Covid-19?

Here is the full interview for those of you interested in a lecture from Dr. Fauci.

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