What You Should Know About COVID-19 for This Holiday Season

By Helina Selemon If you don’t feel up-to-date about what’s going on with COVID-19, you’re probably not alone. COVID-19 has been waning in the public consciousness for some time: Four years in, only 20% of Americans now view the virus as a major threat to public health in the U.S., according to a Pew survey, but COVID-19 is still here. It lingers throughout all seasons of the year and if past years are any indication, cases are likely to go up as people move indoors during cold weather. “We’re seeing spikes in the summer and winter time,” said Dr. Uche Blackstock, an emergency physician at NYU Langone Health and founder of Advancing Health Equity. “It’s so important to recognize that COVID-19 never goes away …. If you have personal risk for developing severe COVID-19, you’re going to want to get vaccinated before then.” Some of the COVID-19 cases were in kids who hadn’t received COVID-19 vaccines over the previous year, said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He encourages getting RSV, flu, and COVID-19 vaccinations, comparing getting vaccines to wearing a seat belt to stay safe in...