Video: COVID-19 Why it Matters: Part 13, Fall Break…Protect Yourself and Others

This video series features UW-Green Bay’s Immunologist Brian Merkel on COVID-19 and Why it Matters. This series empowers viewers with knowledge to help them navigate through the pandemic. Merkel has a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology from the Medical College of Virginia. He is an associate professor in UW-Green Bay’s Human Biology & Biology programs and has an appointment at the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Microbiology and Immunology. He will be responding to a number of questions related to COVID-19 and try to get behind the “why” it’s important to be educated in your decision-making as we navigate the pandemic together.

Video Transcript – COVID-19 Why it Matters, Part 13: Thanksgiving break, protect yourself & others

Brian Merkel, Microbiology and Immunology at UW-Green Bay and we’re here to talk about why COVID-19 matters to you.

Today we want to talk about holidays like Thanksgiving and how to address celebrating Thanksgiving while doing that safely given the realities of COVID-19. One of the ways we can think about that is to think about relative risks.

The lowest risk option is to celebrate the holiday with your household family members.

The next category of risk, which we would describe as having moderate risk, would be to travel to visit family members, extended family members, or entertain extended family members at your home. The best option in that particular scenario would be to do it outside. Now that’s difficult because it is getting colder but nonetheless that is the recommendation. Some of the associated recommendations—if you were to do that outside would be to avoid sharing utensils, keeping your distance, and when not eating or drinking wearing your face covering.

The higher risk category would be larger gatherings with family members indoors, shopping, all of those kinds of things in busy areas. Those carry greater risk just because of the habits and nature of this virus. It will take advantage of those kinds of things. So, plan ahead and realize that different activities carry risk.

Self-quarantine for 14 days before visiting others over Thanksgiving. Be safe and follow the three W’s as we say at UW-Green Bay—wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance. Thank you.

COVID-19 Why it Matters: Video Series:

Introduction with Brian Merkel https://youtu.be/M-yYPSPk30Q

Part 1: What are viruses and where did this one come fromhttps://youtu.be/DYbiIv8ICgs

Part 2: Two main types of viruses https://youtu.be/O-OVk3rx96s

Part 3: Why is this virus serious? https://youtu.be/EDFyNN8i5G4

Part 4: Why wash hands/wear mask?https://youtu.be/FlcAvlt876Y

Part 5: I’m young! Why should I care? https://youtu.be/TDrEV_beY1U

Part 6: Can pandemics be stopped before they start? https://youtu.be/lgWnJZNYbFI

Part 7: Pandemic is not local, why wear a mask? https://youtu.be/IG3Sl3q-xH8

Part 8: Why does everyone need a flu shot this year? https://youtu.be/DGpBFj0fJkA

Part 9: What is the science behind a vaccine? https://youtu.be/eQ3FclkYaQo

Part 10: Where can I find accurate information? https://youtu.be/pLMlU5Xnkgo

Part 11: What type of mask should I wear? https://youtu.be/gCFHxQvkVYE

Part 12: Why HUGE COVID-19 spikes in Wisconsin? https://youtu.be/OuqmXvrDApY

Part 13: Fall break, protect yourself & others https://youtu.be/h21Ed_bBTE4