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The end of the year typically is a time for celebration. Families gather for the holiday season to spend valuable quality time together. After a year like 2020, who doesn’t want to just hug a loved one?

However, this year, one must understand the cost of a hug. As the number of coronavirus cases continue to soar and the number of available hospital beds plummet, we must be mindful of the impact of our actions.

Many do not know if the holiday family visit will be the last time to see an old relative or a friend that is ill. There is a bit of guilt that can come from making a decision to not see family this year.

There will also be guilt if you go to a gathering and there is a virus outbreak that ends up with someone getting seriously ill.

Since the summer, the main culprit in the spread of the virus has been family gatherings. That makes sense. It is the most common event where large amounts of people gather.

Experts are bracing for an uptick as college students return home. Students, whose age range are not known for making the best decisions, are returning home to older parents. To make matters worse, they will likely be returning to an event where everyone is eating buffet style, touching the same utensils.

It is possible that the promising results of a couple of vaccines could mean we are in the final stages of the pandemic. If that is true, it would really be sad to know we moved the ball so far down the field only to fumble on the 1-yard line.

To this point we, as a community and country, have not handled it well so far. Texas’ positive test numbers are second only to Illinois and lead the nation in hospitalizations.

Experts predicted there would be a second wave as flu season approached. We are now in the midst of it, and the peak is still unknown. It is possible that if the number of cases continues to rise, we could see a second shutdown similar to the one we had in late March and early April.

While mortality rates for the virus drop, it does not mean the virus has become less deadly.

As the number of cases decreased after the first wave, doctors were able to learn more about the virus and how it attacks. Hospitals were also able to better allocate resources that were scarce during the first wave. As hospital staffs become more inundated, it is possible to see the mortality rate increase.

I completely understand the need to see family. I also understand that some parents and grandparents will meet this with guilt trips, but it might have to just be that way.

On a lighter note, there is absolutely someone reading this that always dreads going to family gatherings who is excited to have a legitimate excuse. Cheers.

Be safe, everyone.

 

Chris Moore is the sports editor of Port Arthur Newsmedia. He can be reached at chris.moore@panews.com.