Measures that doctors advise to avoid contagion of COVID-19 in meetings and dinners of Christmas and New Year’s Eve

Use a mask (only take it off when eating); meet with small family groups; ask your guests for a vaccination card or PCR or antigen test; do not go and do not receive those who have symptoms; Maintaining physical distance, such as the separation of at least two meters between tables, and washing hands with soap and water are part of the recommendations that doctors give to avoid more COVID-19 infections at Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Dinners, meetings, trips (such as going to the beach), dances and walks are more frequent on these dates, where many forget physical distancing and other biosecurity measures against the virus and its mutations such as omicron, which He had 22 infected in Ecuador until the morning of December 21. Of these, 19, in Guayas.

“People have to know that the pandemic is not over and that the risks still exist, but that if I have preventive measures I can do minimal activities within my home, such as, for example, meeting with a small group of the family, with people who are probably already vaccinated ”, says Washington Alemán, an expert in Infectious Diseases.

For shows, events in halls, theater and cinemas, a vaccination card or a negative result of COVID-19 will be requested in Guayaquil

He says that before the meeting you should talk with the group to find out if someone has symptoms in the last five or eight days and alert each other to self-care.

“Let us warn each other so that you do not come (to the meeting). It’s not that we don’t love you, but if you have symptoms, stay home, which is the best way you can love us. And establish a meeting in the backyard of the house, in open places, to try to avoid having a hermetically closed environment. Use hand washing and use a mask in case you are going to have very close contact between family members ”, explains Alemán.

More than confinement, one must have the perception of risk to minimize the probability of transmission, adds this doctor, who is also director of the Infectious Diseases Prevention Unit of the Health Directorate of the Municipality of Guayaquil.

The epidemiologist Jhony Real emphasizes that it is necessary to maintain traditional biosafety measures such as the correct use of the mask, hand washing and distancing, since vaccination alone (even with full doses) does not protect 100%, no It frees the person from contagion, and it is not a guarantee to be at parties or in meetings in closed places, with little ventilation and with people whose mobilization and care are unknown.

Delta, which predominates in Ecuador, causes more seriousness due to a direct attack on the lungs. Arrival of omicron quadruples the risk of contagion; doctors call for self-care

It highlights that all people are exposed to contagion despite being vaccinated, especially immunosuppressed patients, those who have chronic or pre-existing diseases and those over 60 years of age, more with the omicron variant that is of concern because, he says, it is seen “ that makes immune escape and it may also be that vaccines do not have sufficient antibody responses ”in certain people such as risk groups.

To this is added that a single person who has the omicron variant, for example, can infect more than 20 people, while one with delta infects between 6 and 8 people. Therefore, the importance of the mask at all times, Real remembers.

Dr. Alberto Campodónico, internist and intensivist at the Kennedy de la Alborada clinic, says that also in homes or families that hold meetings, the vaccination certificate or an antigen swab test can be requested, in addition to complying with the other measures of biosafety.

The meeting or dinner should be an open place. If there are several guests from different households, it is better to have several tables for each group and not mix them.

If there is only one table, they should sit passing a seat, not one next to the other, since the distance of at least one and a half to two meters must be guaranteed. You can also take turns or schedules to eat in groups and thus avoid exposing yourself to possible infections, explains Campodónico.

In restaurants and hotels, in addition to requesting the vaccination card or negative result of PCR or antigen tests, as already required by the Municipality of Guayaquil, the user must demand that the table be disinfected before sitting down and verify that they have sufficient distance from the other tables (two meters or a little more), adds this internist and intensivist who treats cases of COVID-19 on a daily basis.

The same care should be taken with children: use of a mask, physical or social distancing, hand washing, disinfection with 70% alcohol, avoiding crowds, among others.

The child can even have ten times more viral load than an adult and is still the “silent enemy” in the case of COVID-19 infections, since behind an older adult who is infected with the virus is almost always a child who It happened to him, since many minors do not have symptoms, indicates pediatrician Vladimir Vélez.

He has had a 15% spike in pediatric COVID-19 patients in recent weeks. He considers the care of children and adolescents vital, especially in the population that still cannot access vaccination, as is the case with children under 5 years of age. The importance of biosafety measures against the virus that circulates should be explained to them with drawings, puppets or various educational resources.

Additionally, parents should recognize or be alert to symptoms such as fever, mucus, cough in children and adolescents to access immediate medical attention and to try to avoid the spread of the virus.

In addition, Vélez indicates, it is necessary to take care of them from dengue and other diseases such as chickenpox, measles, because the combination of these with COVID-19 becomes a time bomb and makes the children’s pictures worse, as you have seen in these last weeks.

Recommendations to avoid contagion at dinners:

• Mandatory measures. Wearing the mask at all times (remove it only to eat or drink liquids), maintain physical distance, hand washing and disinfection with alcohol are key at Christmas or New Year’s gatherings, to avoid contagion.
• Ask for a vaccination card or tests. To have more security, the organizers must ask their guests for the vaccination card or the result of a test such as antigens (they are delivered in less than two hours) or a PCR, if the arrival of several groups or friends is contemplated.
• Outdoor meetings. Choose open places, where there is air circulation, such as patios, garden areas, terraces. If you use chairs or tables, they should be at least one and a half meters apart or arranged by family groups. They should not be mixed.
• Tables and seats. Having several separate tables (two meters) is ideal to avoid contagion. In case of having only one table, seat the guests passing a seat or take turns at the time of eating. Disinfect the spaces and common elements that are touched.
• Individual utensils. Glasses, crockery and cutlery must be used individually, they cannot be shared. For example, you should not drink from the same glass as groups are used to when sharing drinks. After use, collect them to prevent others from touching them.
• Mask in bus. If you travel by bus, you should not remove your mask because you run the risk of infection since hundreds of people travel at the same time that they may have different strains. In taxis and other transport, use the mask.
• On trips and walks. Use the mask, which covers the nose and mouth; keep your distance; do not enter places that are crowded and avoid crowds. In hotels, evaluate the biosecurity measures they implement. For example, rooms must be completely disinfected between the departure and arrival of a new guest.
• On the beach. Wear masks in common areas or areas, where other people walk. Being two or three meters away from other family groups or people. The same when entering the sea. (I)