8PM MOVIE Sister Swap: Christmas in the City
winter?
Again, that’s hard to say. But at least currently the public health measures you can take as an individual are pretty much the same as they have been throughout the pandemic — that is, wear a mask, get vaccinated, social distance, and stay home if you are sick, says LeVasseur.
“Whatever your risk is, the risk isn’t new,” LeVasseur says. “This isn’t March 2020. Now, we have more information and effective treatments. If you want to make travel plans, go for it — just know your risk. If you are visiting someone at higher risk, take that into mind, too.”
Seth Welles, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of public health, agrees, noting that “we know what to do” when it comes to mitigating risk when traveling. But another step you can take to protect yourself now is getting a booster shot, which are available to all adults.
In fact, as the CDC recently recommended, all adults should get booster shots if they are at least six months out from their last shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two months out from the singledose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“This is a reason to get boosted. Not only do you get more antibodies, but there is an opportunity for more antibody diversity,” Welles says. “People should be vaccinated, and try to get boosted now — you want to give yourself a couple weeks to develop antibodies. It’s time to do it.”
Should I cancel my trip because of the omicron variant?
That’s a personal decision, and it depends on factors like your risk for severe illness, your tolerance for that risk, where you’re going, and what happens with the omicron variant as the holidays
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A companion piece to last Sunday’s “Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday,” this 2021 romantic comedy finds real-life sisters Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Ashley Williams reprising their roles as, respectively, siblings Jennifer and Meg Swift. While the former takes a trip back to their hometown, Meg holds down the fort at Jennifer’s busy
arrive. But right now, Welles says, “there’s time” to figure out what you’re going to do, whether that means domestic or international travel.
“I wouldn’t cancel it yet. You have to play it by ear,” Welles says. “People should put together a strategy of how to minimize risk, and figure out how to have a normal-as-possible holiday while reducing your risk.”
That, Welles adds, means keeping an eye out for the latest information about the omicron variant’s spread and effects, and following the usual risk mitigation steps like getting vaccinated, wearing masks in public places, practicing social distancing, and washing your hands. Overall, you should just be careful and deliberate about what you choose to do.
“For people who have stopped wearing masks or thinking about [COVID-19], you need to start thinking again,” Welles says. “If [you] should become infected, there are treatment options that are effective. That is not a reason to not be careful, but people should not be totally panicked about this.”
Should I buy travel insurance because of COVID-19 variants?
If you are concerned about having to cancel a trip over the omicron variant or COVID-19 in general, you might want to consider buying travel insurance.
A couple of things to know: Most standard travel insurance won’t cover cancelations over concern about COVID-19 (most, however, cover cancelations if you get sick).
So, you may want to look for a “Cancel For Any Reason” policy, which allows you to cancel a trip regardless of the reason and often reimburse a defined percentage of your travel costs.