What’s A ‘Holiday Bubble Checklist’? Baylor College Releases COVID-19 Advice For Christmas

Doctors fear that the most wonderful time of the year may become the most dangerous amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, creating a “holiday bubble checklist” may be the answer to saving the 2020 holiday season.

Dr. James McDeavitt, the senior vice president and dean of clinical affairs at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, has created a “holiday bubble checklist” that will lower the chance of family gatherings turning into superspreader events, NBC News reports.

For families to have a safe holiday season, experts are advising them to choose a “bubble commissioner” that will responsible for making sure the family members who plan to attend the holiday gathering follow whatever guidelines are put in place.

However, the person must take the role seriously and cannot do it halfway. “There is harm in that. It gives a false sense of security,” McDeavitt explained.

The checklist recommends that each member of the family gets a flu shot as soon as possible. “This will decrease the likelihood of developing a flu-related illness around holiday time, which could disrupt your plans,” he stated.

Attendees should also self-quarantine 14 days before the holiday if possible. McDeavitt provided a solid template on what should be included in every holiday bubble checklist. He even added that travelers should wear goggles or face shields in addition to regular masks.

He suggested that the more detailed a list is, the higher the chance families will feel comfortable “co-mingling, singing songs, laughing — all the things you like to do during the holidays.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician, recommended hosting the holiday gathering outdoors. Wen noted that logical thinking tends to go out the window when it comes to seeing loved ones as threats to another’s health.

“We know that up to 50 percent of people who are spreading coronavirus may not have symptoms,” she said.

“There is this magical thinking that occurs with our loved ones, but we need to be aware that our family and friends are just as likely to have coronavirus as strangers.”