The Thanksgiving COVID-19 surge could turn into a Christmas one

Doctors are worried that the Thanksgiving COVID-19 surge we’re experiencing could be even worse a month from now. Many who have already survived the virus are worried about what the future holds as well.

Charles McDonald from Naples had coronavirus back in March. “It’s brutal. It’s absolutely heart wrenching not to be able to be together and hug and kiss, ” McDonald said.

As brutal as it’s been, he says his family gatherings will continue to be much smaller this year just to stay on the safe side.

McDonald knows what to do. “We have to bite our tounges and just check ourselves for another 6 or 7 months,” he said.

Experts say this surge we’re seeing around Thanksgiving could stick around and worsen at Christmas.

Dr. Ben Abo at NCH says each surge has been getting worse. “These surges just keep getting worse, and when you have the increase of people coming down here like snowbirds on top of the surges already happening,” said Dr. Abo. “I’m very worried about what this next month is going to be.”

Dr. Abo doesn’t want people to get complacent. “We’ve got to just stop sharing air, and we can really put a dent in this,” he said. “It’s not just people dying. It’s people having long term effects.”

Some people are in line with Dr. Abo’s thinking, like Hector Mercado from Naples. “Hopefully, this nightmare will come to an end soon but until then, let’s keep our distance and let’s consider other people’s feelings,” said Mercado.

Others, like Ralph Elias, see it a bit differently “Everything is dangerous walking out of your house is dangerous but you can’t be cooped up and not work and close down,” said Elias.

The CDC predicts that we’ll hit between 294,000 and 321,000 deaths by December 19. They will continue to recommend small gatherings and ask people not to travel.