Cincinnati.com: 'Tis the season! Or is it? We asked COVID-19 experts: 'Would you do this, doc?'
UC expert weighs in on family activities during the holidays
The upcoming holiday season will be unlike any other we have ever seen, given the restrictions made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many holiday traditions such as office parties, visits with Santa and Black Friday shopping will be difficult, if not impossible. Cincinnati.com consulted with three local infectious disease experts to see what they would do in certain situations.
Jennifer Forrester, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine. Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand
On the question of whether or not it's a good idea to attend holiday shows and concerts, Jennifer Forrester, MD, of the UC College of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases said, "No. With Ohio's COVID-19 cases skyrocketing, being in enclosed spaces for extended periods of time is not a good idea. It is important to know that speaking loudly or singing can actually make those potentially infected droplets go much farther than 6 feet, so plays and concerts can increase risk of transmission more than just talking."
She also recommended against visits to Santa, going to office parties, shopping at malls on Black Friday, going to Christmas Eve church services and flying to see relatives. She did however say with the proper precautions and social distancing, visiting friends and caroling could be done safely.
Lead image: Volodymyr Hryshchenko/Unsplash
Next Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is classified as a Research 1 institution by the Carnegie Commission and is ranked in the National Science Foundation's Top-35 public research universities. UC's medical, graduate and undergraduate students and faculty investigate problems and innovate solutions with real-world impact. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Sugar overload killing hearts
November 10, 2025
Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.
Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?
November 10, 2025
The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease
November 10, 2025
An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.