While families and children get ready for trick-or-treating this Halloween, there are tips to avoid the COVID-19 virus.
Parents want to help provide a more normal experience for their children after what’s happened since the pandemic started.
School, vacations, birthdays and holidays have all been harder for children that may not have understood the implications of COVID-19.
Now, the goal is to give kids a more normal Halloween and trick-or-treating experience. At the same time, it’s important to stay safe from the virus.
Is COVID-19 and its variants as big of a danger now, ahead of Halloween?
According to Rochester First, one expert explained that the current variants aren’t as severe as what people were sick with in 2020.
Dr. Michael Huynh said that in the beginning, the virus would harm the lower part of the respiratory tract in the lungs.
Today it really impacts the upper respiratory tract, like the throat, sinuses, and nasal passages.
While it’s still uncomfortable, it’s not as bad as the older strains of COVID-19. The biggest issue with this strain is people complaining of a lingering cough.
The act of trick-or-treating should be relatively safe, especially because it’s an outdoor event. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t come without risks.
Risk factors to keep in mind regarding COVID-19 and trick-or-treating on Halloween
There are some ways that you could be putting yourself or your child at risk this Halloween.
These include
- Trick-or-treating with a large group of kids or adults who aren’t vaccinated
- Go indoors to retrieve candy
- Taking candy from someone who has COVID-19
- Reaching into a community candy bowl for candy
- Eating candy before washing hands or sanitizing
- Rubbing your eyes while trick-or-treating
- Touching your nose or mouth before you wash your hands
- Going to a Halloween event inside
Tips to stay safe from contracting COVID-19 while out and about for Halloween
- Get your vaccine
- Wear a mask under your costume mask
- Stay 6 feet away from strangers
- Stay outside
- Don’t go out at peak times
- Wait until you wash your hands to eat candy
- Carry sanitizer
- Stay home if you feel sick
- If you know you’ve been sick, stay home
- Take a test before you go trick-or-treating
Pet safety for Halloween
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