As we near the colder months, the Coronavirus is reaching its second wave, just like scientists predicted. Huron Valley Schools were slated to return with a four-day school week, but instead students  have found themselves fully virtual once again. . Though the cases haven’t been incredibly high within Milford High school, there has been a great increase in cases within Oakland country since Halloween. 

Many doctors and scientists are attributing this spike to Halloween festivities. Though a majority of people participated in a safe and distanced way, there are instances where people have gathered in an unsafe manner. This only works as a breeding ground for the virus. We have gotten our first taste of super spreaders during our true second wave.

What does this surge in cases mean for the upcoming holiday season? Days like Thanksgiving and Christmas are some of the most common gathering times in America. Both the young and the old come together to celebrate their families. In most situations, the tables are filled with people, everyone is touching everything, kids have their fingers up their noses, and the grandparents are adding food to everyone’s plates around the table.

What makes these holidays even more impractical during the current situation is the fact you can’t wear a mask while you are eating, and it is too cold to properly distance outside. So if people were to participate in these holidays the only option would be to continue celebrating inside. Just like Halloween parties, this would only result in super-spreader circumstances.

The spreading of the virus, as it gets colder outside, is obviously going to be a huge risk due to the disproportionate number of deaths among the older population. Many teenagers and young adults can be the host of the virus because they can have it in their system without even knowing it. This would mean that in a situation where the carrier is in close contact with those who are at a higher risk, they can pass the virus on quickly in the given situation.

No one wants to be responsible for someone else contracting the virus, which is exactly why we should find alternative ways to celebrate these holidays with the ones we love most. 

Just like the beginning of the pandemic, families can gather using video chat rooms like Zoom. Maybe the experience won’t be the same as the one at grandma’s house, but it is one of the sacrifices that must be made to keep everyone safe. While using Zoom, families across the world can be reconnected. So along with keeping family members safe, people can also save on unnecessary travel costs.

Another example of a distanced Thanksgiving could be a gathering where everyone stays within their cars (or distanced outside if they can handle the cold weather). This allows one to see their family members in person and enjoy their company, which is the foundation of these holidays in modern culture. 

The pandemic surging during a time that is supposed to be joyous is obviously not the ideal situation right now. Sadly, we can’t get rid of a virus overnight and just continue to live our lives normally the next day. Everyone would rather have life return to normal instead of working to accommodate ourselves to it. But in the end, human lives should continue to be more valuable than our normalcy. Keep protecting your family and find other ways to spend “the most wonderful times of the year”.