AdventHealth epidemiologist: Plan for holiday festivities with COVID-19 prevention in mind

ORLANDO, Fla. – Oct. 8, 2020 – This morning on the AdventHealth Morning Briefing, Dr. Vincent Hsu, epidemiologist and AdventHealth’s infection control officer, encouraged caution as residents welcome friends and family for upcoming holiday gatherings.

“Remain focused on your small family group,” Hsu said. “When you’re dealing with larger groups, you’re going to have to be more careful. Wear your masks, keep social distance… Make sure you are doing everything you can to ensure [your guests] are as safe as possible.”

Hsu offered these tips for healthy holiday planning:

• Take advantage of cooler weather: Consider outdoor potluck dinners if weather permits.
• If gathering inside, open the windows or make sure your HVAC air conditioning and filter system at home provides good air flow.
• Keep your gatherings to a reasonable size, preferably no more than 10 people.
• Try to social distance as much as possible.

Hsu also encouraged people to get flu shots as soon as possible to lessen any health complications that may occur during this time of year while COVID-19 is still a concern.

We encourage you to refer to the video on the Life at AdventHealth Central Florida page to pull direct quotes from Hsu. The video may be downloaded by following this link: https://vimeo.com/466150621#t=59s