Should all Christmas parties be off this year?
In light of the rise of the Omicron variant is any large gathering safe?
Many of us had been looking forward to a nearly normal Christmas party season this year, until the new Covid variant Omicron raised the scary prospect of super-spreading festive events once again.
So is it safe to have Christmas parties this year? Professor Jennifer Rohn, a cell biologist at University College London and an expert on viruses and Covid-19, thinks smaller gatherings may be OK if people are careful, but she would advise steering clear of big parties.
Rohn says: “If you’ve had all your vaccinations you might be alright going to a party. Weigh up the risks, make sure everyone’s vaccinated, and take a test before you go.
“I would avoid big parties though – there’s no way I’d go to a massive event with loads of people there. Omicron has been seeded in our country, it’s not everywhere yet, but the more people from different places that gather in one place, it’s more likely [it is] that Omicron will spread. I’m not going to any big events – even the pub’s making me a bit nervous.
“The bigger the event, the more likely people from geographically dispersed locations will come and seed an Omicron event.”
“You might decide you’re going to have a nice Christmas with your family, as long as none of them are especially vulnerable. You’re probably out and about anyway, going shopping and taking part in public life. I don’t think there’s a huge difference between going to the shops and having a small dinner party.
“Delta was bad and I think nothing’s really changed for those sorts of people, unfortunately. If there’s an elderly person or an immunocompromised person in your family, you probably want to avoid mingling with them, even if everyone’s vaccinated, because a vaccine can’t always prevent transmission. It can protect you from hospitalisation and death, but in some cases you can still spread the virus.”
How will you be spending your Christmas? Will you be having a family gathering? Have you thought about limiting numbers due to the threat of the new variant? Will you be having Christmas in a pub or restaurant? Have you been invited to a party and are you hesitant to go? Should the Government be as strict as they were last Christmas?
