SAN ANTONIO – Halloween is here and the holidays are around the corner -- a time Doctor Ruth Berggren with UT Health San Antonio says is crucial to protect those who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus.
“Celebrate your family through these holidays by protecting one another. And I really want people to think about keeping the grandparents safe. We want the grandparents here next year,” she said.
According to the city’s website, San Antonio’s coronavirus positivity rate is at 6.9%, up from recent weeks. Still Berggren says San Antonio is in a good spot and can hang on to that relatively low rate if safety precautions continue.
“If we modify our behaviors, if we hang on to them, we don’t give up hope, don’t lower the mask. Don’t give up on the hand-washing and the distancing. Redouble your efforts to protect one another. Otherwise, we will go the way of El Paso, France and other parts of the country,” she said.
During this time when families are gathering, Berggren also advises young people to distance themselves from older and at risk family members like grandparents and to especially avoid hugging and kissing them.
Berggren is optimistic that this time next year, although the virus will still be present, the country will be in a better situation to fight it.
“I think that we will probably have better drugs, we will be a whole year smarter about how to manage people when they’re sick,” she said. “There is no question in my mind that we will still be taking precautions next year. But I am a hopeful person.”
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