When You Gather, You Gamble Everyone’s Health

You might call members of different households a pod, but that doesn’t make you safe. Even if they are your members of your own family.

We recently heard the story of family members from two separate households who decided to call themselves a pod and consider it safe to all get together. One family member began to experience a few COVID-19 symptoms but figured it was just seasonal allergies and went about things normally.

Two days later, members from both households gathered to celebrate a birthday. They figured it was safe to do so in a relaxed way since they are family and part of the two-household pod. They celebrated together without taking safety precautions. They didn’t wear face coverings, keep socially distant, or wash hands frequently. They shared food, drink, utensils, and other items. They hugged each other, laughed, sang, and had a good time.

A few days after the party, the person who had thought they had allergies developed a fever and was feeling much worse. They went for a test and learned they were positive for COVID-19.

Almost everyone in the household contracted COVID-19. Not only that, but one household member, thinking it would protect the older adults in the household, decided to quarantine at another household. They thought they were doing the right thing, but then members of the third household tested positive for COVID-19.

This one small family gathering spread COVID-19 to at least 14 people in three households. People of different ages and several who were in vulnerable categories. Please keep this in mind and don’t let your guard down as you plan your holidays this year. 

It is natural to want to gather in person to celebrate, but our choices matter more than ever this holiday season. Show your love by keeping your family, friends, and community safe. Gather in person only with members of your immediate household. San Francisco is in the midst of a COVID-19 surge. We crushed the coronavirus curve twice before. Let’s work together to crush it again. Act now so that we can get to the point where we can safely return to the activities we miss and have even more to celebrate.