As Halloween approaches, the head of the Maine Center for Disease Control says individuals should consider their own risk levels for COVID-19 when deciding what to do.
D. Nirav Shah says adults are more at risk for the disease, and typical activities — whether it’s opening the door to trick or treaters or escorting them from house to house — can translate into contact with many different people.
Even though the interactions may be fleeting, Shah there may be areas where multiple individuals have COVID-19.
“And so by going door to door, you could receive a cumulative dose of the virus that of the end of the night is sufficiently large to cause COVID-19,” he says.
Shah says families should adjust favorite activities accordingly to maintain safety.
“It may look completely different than what other families are doing, let alone compared to what we’ve done in previous years. But there is a way for Halloween to go on. It will just be much different,” he says.
Shah also recommends that parents looking for specific advice for their family to check in with their health care provider.
