Health officials are urging caution after many people traveled for Thanksgiving during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Doctor Anthony Baffoe-Bonnie, an infectious disease expert with Carilion Clinic, says if you traveled over the Thanksgiving weekend, you should assume you either have COVID-19 or have been exposed to it.
“It’s wise and prudent to quarantine, self-isolate for a period of time, usually five to seven days, and then get tested,” Dr. Baffoe-Bonnie said.
Baffoe-Bonnie expects COVID-19 cases to surge over the next two weeks.
“You know that we are seeing, in this valley, more than 100 cases a day. And seeing 100 cases means there are probably 200, 300, or 400 cases that you are not seeing,” Baffoe-Bonnie said.
That’s because you can be infected with COVID-19 and not even know it.
“A lot of people go around without any symptoms at all, or symptoms that seem that they are the usual sinus infection or symptoms, so they don’t put much to it,” Baffoe-Bonnie said.
If you’re thinking about traveling the next few weeks, including Christmas and New Year’s, Baffoe-Bonnie wants to remind you: “The virus doesn’t take a holiday. It enjoys it, actually.”
Baffoe-Bonnie added the safest thing to do is take advantage of Zoom meetings.