Juliet Fang
Northwest Asia Weekly
On October 29, 2021, Dr. Michelle DuMond examines a baby during a children’s health check-up at the ICHS International District Medical and Dental Clinic. (Photo courtesy of ICHS)
For the third year in a row, Lunar New Year is the ultimate celebration of family, food and good luck amid a global pandemic.
Despite these circumstances, millions of people around the world will be flying home to reunite with their families, teaching grandparents how to use an online video chat system to welcome the New Year with fried spring rolls, rice cakes and sweet glutinous rice balls. Tiger.
As Omicron drives record highs in COVID-19 cases, personal and community safety has become paramount when it comes to one of the biggest holidays on the planet.
“The risk of transmission increases whenever we have face-to-face gatherings,” said Dr. Jessica Lu, a physician at International Community Health Services Seattle (ICHS), which aims to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate health care to Asian Pacific Islanders. Community.
“Especially since many of our patients come from multigenerational families, including grandparents and young children, we must be very careful about those who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.”
While one of the most important Chinese New Year traditions is gathering with extended family, Omicron makes travel problematic, and possibly even dangerous. In fact, with children under 5 still ineligible for vaccinations and older adults more vulnerable to severe infections, many officials are again urging people not to travel.
For those who decide to travel, Lu advises them to be “very aware of the risks and benefits associated with returning home.” She added: “It is important to protect ourselves by vaccinating and boosting immunizations, but we must also be vigilant about protecting others by wearing masks. In the meantime, medical clinics and centres like ICHS will continue to offer vaccinations, field testing and Detection kit.”
ICHS Patient Services Representative Minh La, holding a Chinese test instruction, explains to Mai He how to use the COVID-19 test kit at home. (Image courtesy of ICHS)
Lu also stressed the importance of testing whether people are gathering or traveling in person. “The tests most people are familiar with are rapid tests and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests. Rapid tests are beneficial because they are easy to do at home and give quick results. They are also easily accessible to most people However, they’re not very good at detecting early disease, so there is a higher chance of false negatives. That’s why the protocol will test yourself twice with a rapid test if you develop symptoms of COVID-19.”
“PCR tests, on the other hand, are more sensitive to early disease and generally produce accurate results. But because they have to be administered by clinics or testing sites, people don’t get them as easily as rapid tests. At the end of the day, if you have symptoms Or know that you have been exposed to COVID-19 after a large gathering or travel, getting tested is one of the best things you can do to protect yourself and others, as well as self-isolate.”
“The CDC also recently recommended upgrading to surgical masks, as cloth masks have been shown to be less effective at filtering airborne particles. If you are able to use standard surgical masks or KN95 masks, you can reduce the risk of transmission during any in-person gatherings .”
Like the fearless, tenacious tiger (this year’s zodiac animal), people are constantly adapting to new environments during the festivities to adapt to COVID-19. Specifically, online video services like Zoom and WeChat have made virtual celebrations an option to prevent the spread of any disease.
“Technology does cross a lot of hurdles – of course, I use a lot of WeChat video calls to keep in touch with my family abroad. It’s just a matter of deciding what’s best for you and your family.”
Whether celebrating in person or online, Chinese New Year is always a time of celebration and reunion. As Lu said, we will continue to “connect with our families, count our blessings, and hope for the best in the new year”, embrace the tiger power within us, and look forward to the post-pandemic era.
Juliet can reach info@nwasianweekly.com.
