By Ashanti Johnson
COVID-19 is affecting Thanksgiving as some students at College of Southern Nevada plan to stay close to home.
Due to the pandemic, many are concerned about celebrating the holidays together in person.
“Families should do their own risk analysis and not necessarily look at what other families are doing,” stated an article by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. “A college student returning to a family with young, relatively healthy parents and siblings is a different situation than one who resides with an 80-year-old grandparent with multiple health conditions.”
Of course, those going home are recommended to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines of social distancing, mask wearing and good hygiene.
According to USA Facts, In Nevada, as of Nov. 16, there are nearly 120,000 cases of COVID-19 with 2000 deaths. Nearly 80% of those are in Clark County so CSN students are reasonably concerned.
Hannah Dunbar, a student at CSN, said, “My plans during the holiday is to mostly stay at home and celebrate them with my roommates. I don’t have family here and the closest I got is my boyfriend’s family, but they’re at high risk so I probably won’t be able to visit them. If things get better, maybe I’d visit my best friend or have her over.” Dunbar takes social-distancing precautions when socializing with loved ones during the pandemic.
Other students are hesitant about spending quality time with family members.
“Usually I spend time with my relatives, but with the pandemic I’m not sure how family gatherings will go,” said Carlton McGee, CSN student. “Other than that, we have no plans for the holiday season.’’
CSN student America Gomez Oropeza said she has felt unease about anyone passing away from this illness. “COVID has affected my mental health negatively. The fear of someone close to me suffering is always on my mind.”
Gomez Oropeza is going to spend Thanksgiving with her family who lives in Las Vegas. She mentioned they all have been tested for COVID and are negative, which makes them feel more secure about this decision.
Despite COVID-19, some are looking forward to the holiday.
Catherine Daleo, CSN student, said, “I will most likely do what we always do. We will get a pre-made Thanksgiving meal from Mimi’s Cafe and have dinner with my immediate family who I live with. We started this tradition of sorts because, in years past, we all had to work on Thanksgiving, so there was no time to visit family out-of-state or cook the meal from scratch all day. So we’d get the Mimi’s meal box, and either celebrate the day before Thanksgiving or heat it up for Thanksgiving lunch before going into work around 3 or 4 p.m.”
COVID-19 can easily be spread in large gatherings. As the holidays approach it is wise to contact family and friends to discuss safety precautions and make wise decisions on gatherings.
Coyote Student News at the College of Southern Nevada 