Plan for Thanksgiving Via Zoom, Say Experts

Thanksgiving just will not smell the same this year — unless Zoom introduces a new app that wafts the aroma of turkey and apple pie through the screen.

Experts predict the threat of the still-virulent novel coronavirus might be even more dangerous this fall as schools reopen and cooler weather signals more indoor activity. If a bad flu season peaks in October, this can add to the already burdened healthcare system straining hospitals and might cause higher daily death tolls from COVID-19.

These factors do not bode well for celebrating a hearty family gathering around the Thanksgiving table, graced by relatives from near and far.

According to ABC News, many families have already told their relatives that Thanksgiving will be celebrated virtually. Some, however, are going forward and have decided to set up picnic tables outdoors spaced at least 6 feet apart despite the dire warnings of healthcare officials.

Most disease modelers predict the pandemic will still be with us in November. Jeffrey Shaman, of Columbia Public Health, told ABC News he thinks the virus will spread more easily this fall as people spend more time indoors, but how much the transmission might be accelerated is "hard to say."

While realistically, there will not be a vaccine in time for Thanksgiving, experts say if you do plan to travel to visit relatives, try to control your environment.

"It's very hard to speculate what's going to happen in November," said Dr. William Tseng, an internal medical physician at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, adding the best thing you can do is minimize your risk by traveling in your own car and avoiding so-called "hot spots," where coronavirus cases are high, he told CBS-8, a San Diego affiliate.

He cautions, however, while it is nice to visit family and relatives on Thanksgiving Day, the last thing you want to do is transmit the disease to your parents or other relatives who might be at increased risk of complications from the disease. Dr. Tseng told CBS-8 he uses Zoom to keep in touch with his own parents.