Last year, federal and state health officials simply asked people not to gather for the holidays. This year there are new tools to fight the spread of the virus
- At-home rapid antigen COVID tests are available in drugstores and online. Experts say a same-day rapid antigen test isn’t great for diagnosis, but is good for answering the question: Are you contagious today? If the result is positive, isolate.
- Vaccination and booster shots, taken in time for immunity to build over 10 or 14 days.
- Communication. Hosts should communicate the ground rules. They ask guests to know if they’re vaccinated.
Still useful:
- Masks: Wear them around the vulnerable and when holiday shopping.
- Ventilation. Open windows and doors when possible. If the weather’s okay, gather outside.
- For gathering inside, use portable HEPA filters. In studies, two placed running near an infected person reduced the amount of virus in the room by more than half.
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