Letter: Think of older loved ones’ health during holiday celebrations

Editor:

As we enter the winter holidays, or what I call “kiss and kill grandpa” season, it is important to note that a 35-year-old with a respiratory infection such as COVID-19 or flu may not be affected for more than a few months. However, what might be a glancing blow to a granddaughter can kill her grandfather.

I am in that cohort — male, over 65 and diabetic 2. When we have people in our house we take basic precautions. First, we are both vaccinated for COVID and flu. Next, we keep track of the indoor air quality using carbon dioxide monitors. Third, we follow the latest World Health Organization guidance on indoor air quality by making sure a room is ventilated with air flowing from inside the house outside through a cracked window or door. We also have UV air filters around the house.

Finally, it is important to remember that the smallest organisms are the deadliest. A virus or bacterium is much more dangerous than a mythological stranger with a gun or mythological hell. It is smart, not cowardly, to take precautions against the smallest organisms, preventing infection of not only yourself, but of the people around you.

Richard Gardner
Upper Bern Township

Source: Berkshire mont