Survey: Many Americans still feeling cautious about holiday parties

Photo courtesy of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center

Photo courtesy of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center

Many Americans are still feeling cautious when it comes to holiday parties in 2021, according to a survey from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

The survey found that about half of Americans said they would ask guests to wear masks, and nearly three out of four saying they would likely only celebrate with members of their own household.

When it comes to vaccination status, half of survey respondents said they would ask guests’ vaccination status, with 46% saying they would ask unvaccinated guests to test negative for COVID-19 before attending.

The survey was conducted online and asked 2,042 Americans 18 or older about their holiday celebration plans this year.

Dr. Iahn Gosenhauser, chief quality and patient safety officer for the medical center and assistant professor of internal medicine at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, said, “”If everyone in attendance is vaccinated and are without major health risks, you can have a safe, small gathering without a lot of additional precautions. Unvaccinated individuals really pose the greatest threat, and that’s when it becomes necessary to put some rules and precautions in place, even though those conversations can be a little bit awkward.”

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