One Third of Us Say a Traditional Thanksgiving Gathering is Worth the Risk!

According to a new poll one-third of parents believe the benefits of gathering the family together for Thanksgiving is worth the risk of catching or spreading Covid-19! That's despite the fact that nine out of 10 parents said grandparents -- one of the highest-risk groups for severe infections -- were typically at their Thanksgiving gathering. Polling results were based on responses from nearly 1,500 nationally representative parents with at least one child age 12 or under. "We all know that large public gatherings carry great risks of spreading COVID-19. But small and casual social gatherings where people feel most 'safe' are also part of what has been fueling transmission," said Sarah Clark, co-director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at Michigan Medicine. Over half of parents felt it was "very important" that children were allowed to see extended family and share in family holiday traditions, and said their children had been more isolated from grandparents and other extended family since the pandemic began. Pandemic fatigue may be part of the reason why 61% of families who traditionally meet in person at the holidays plan to do so again this Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association and the American Nurses Association joined many other health experts in urging Americans to scale back on traditional gatherings to stop the spread of Covid-19. The released a joint statement which read: "We -- the physicians, nurses, hospital and health system leaders and public health professionals on the front lines of this pandemic -- strongly urge everyone throughout our country to celebrate responsibly, in a scaled-back fashion that limits the virus's spread, to help reduce the risk of infecting friends, family and others you love." Meanwhile, more than 3 million went through American airports this weekend making it the biggest travel weekend since mid-March. ♪♪ We gather together to ask Rona's blessings. She chastens and hastens her will in our lungs. The droplets oppressing will keep us all distressing, you'd better mask up or she'll make you her own. (CNN Health)