The coronavirus seems to really hate the holidays. Last week, the omicron variant, which is available for less than 1 percent of new US cases in early December, has quickly spread across the country and has become the dominant Covid-19 strain. Schools and college campuses have suddenly closed, and sports leagues, namely the NFL and the NBA Delay games how more and more players test positive. Omicron appears to be responsible for a record high groundbreaking cases among the vaccinated people, and things are starting to look a lot like yesterday’s Covid-filled Christmas.
For many, 2021 was the promised year in which we could safely attend face-to-face meetings without masks and without fear of contagion to our loved ones. Omicron has dashed hopes for a completely carefree Christmas season. It will add further burden for already ailing hospitals and could take advantage of the limited supply in the country Health care workerswho are already suffering from burnout.
Even so, whether or not they are fully vaccinated, most Americans are unlikely to cancel or change their vacation plans by the end of the year. Thanksgiving holiday saw a surge in airport travel TSA screening over 10 million passengers Wednesday through Sunday, and the aviation industry is already expecting Christmas trips to top that. Airlines don’t seem to be returning to pandemic-era policies anytime soon: tickets are no longer easily refundable and planes are full of passengers.
Last year states like New York, Connecticut, and California pushed Travelers from other states should self-quarantine briefly upon arrival, while the CDC advised Americans not to travel at all. However, since last December the circumstances have changed: practically no one has been vaccinated. This year, state and federal officials do not seem interested in declaring any official travel advice or imposing any restrictions. That leaves individuals and families to independently weigh the risks and rewards of collecting for the holidays.
Americans – regardless of vaccination status – are still allowed to fly domestically without presenting either proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test before boarding. Of particular concern is that the delta variant is still on the rise across the country and the rate of hospital admissions has steadily increased, particularly in regions like the Midwest and Northeast. However, some epidemiologists and public health officials do not believe that vaccinated Americans should abandon their year-end plans and instead use risk reduction strategies, such as frequent testing or limiting social interactions in front of a large gathering.
“I think there really needs to be a risk / benefit calculation, and I think it will be an individual and family decision,” said David Dowdy, epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins, recently told Vox’s Sigal Samuel. “Make sure everyone attending a particular meeting is comfortable with a young (and therefore unvaccinated) child present. The only thing you don’t want to do is make others in your family feel uncomfortable. “
In a comment for the Washington Post, Leana Wen Dowdy’s line of thinking followed, arguing that restricting vacation activities was unnecessary and “only serves to prevent vaccination incentives”. Wen, mother of two too young to be vaccinated, believes that “it is not irresponsible for others to make different decisions when the reality of how Covid-19 affects them is very different now ” [hers]. “
Of course, carers of unvaccinated children and immunocompromised or elderly Americans are on a different decision-making body than healthy, vaccinated adults. Even then, some families make the last minute decision to change their plans – or in some cases to abandon them altogether, until more is known about omicron.
Tanya Dua was expecting a reunion after two years with her parents, who were flying from New Delhi to New York. But with over 42,000 New Yorkers After testing positive last week, Dua wanted her father and mother, who had received AstraZeneca and Covaxin vaccines, respectively, available in India, to stay in place and not risk a 15-hour international flight.
“It was a tough decision,” said Dua. “I’m in the middle of some immigration business so I can’t leave the country, but if I could travel I would have flown to them. India doesn’t even talk about boosters at the moment and I didn’t want my parents to endanger their health. “
Ten days before Christmas, Marlo, a Rhode Island resident whose last name was kept secret to protect her privacy, emailed family members containing a pre-convention test plan, even though they are all vaccinated with boosters. Marlo, jokingly referred to as “the family whip crack,” was concerned about the lack of mask use by her relatives in indoor spaces such as restaurants and bars.
“I just want to get us through this pandemic without getting the virus and, God forbid, long Covid,” she said via Twitter direct messages. “And since we really don’t know enough about omicron, there are so many groundbreaking cases and my in-laws are over 70, I’m not taking any chances.”
It is planned that everyone will get a quick home test kit from CVS before the holidays so they can dab each other on Christmas Eve morning before they meet at her home that evening. “If it were up to me the whole celebration would be outside, but it looks like I’ll lose this fight,” she added.
Home tests aren’t that easy to come by, however, and they cost around $ 25 for a two-pack. Rebecca Heilweil from Recode reported that rapid antigen tests sold out in many drug stores across the country, and the lines for PCR testing in cities like New York, San Francisco and Chicago stretch slightly around the block: “The problem is likely to get worse as more people go on vacation and trigger new outbreaks , long before there are new ones. The test deliveries from the federal government should arrive. “
On December 21, the Biden administration announced its plan to expand Covid-19 testing sites across the country and send Americans free home testing kits in the New Year. These federal initiatives could come too late, however: Christmas and New Years can easily turn into superspreader holidays if there aren’t enough testing resources.
Still, some people didn’t plan to make significant changes to their vacation schedule unless the worst-case scenario occurred: contracting Covid-19. Lauren, whose last name is withheld to protect her privacy, flew in from New York this week to be with her family in Florida and insisted not to cancel her flight unless she tested positive.
“I hadn’t gone out the week everyone got Covid, so I wasn’t too worried,” she said. “Of course I was tested, but I think – and my family agrees – that canceling my trip would be an overreaction. Sure Florida isn’t the safest place on earth, but we’re vaccinated. We stay to ourselves and wear masks around the house so that my parents had no problem with me coming home. “
Requesting a refund or voucher through the airlines would have been a logistical nightmare as well, Lauren added. She had a basic economy ticket with American Airlines, according to the website non-refundable and non-modifiable for tariffs purchased after April 1, 2021. Airlines are unlikely to restore their travel policies for the early pandemic, whether because of social distancing or flexible rebooking. This means that most economy class passengers lose money even if they choose not to fly for health reasons. And the rental car market is not easy to navigate for travelers who would rather drive to their destinations than fly. Rental cars are still in great demand, with vehicles that have absurdly high prices even in smaller cities.
For vaccinated families, this year’s holiday gatherings should be less stressful than the last, but there is still a sense of unease about how everyone, regardless of vaccination status, has to play “Choose your own pandemic adventure.” Covid-19 isn’t over yet, but Americans are tired and their vigilance is weakening. There is no easy decision to make, and the decision to change or maintain vacation plans can vary based on an individual’s risk tolerance.
