OU Med Chief COVID Officer Gives Thanksgiving Safety Recommendations

Despite warnings from the Center of Disease Control, millions of Americans are traveling and visiting friends and family during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The number one piece of advice from OU Medical's Chief COVID Officer, Dr. Dale Bratzler, wear your mask as much as possible. He said if you're traveling, you should take your mask off as little as possible and wear it if you're visiting anyone outside your household. 

Dr. Braztler also said people should rethink the traditional Thanksgiving set-up. 

"That might be the most dangerous thing you can do," said Dr. Bratzler. "Openly sitting, talking, communicating [and] eating your meal without your mask on in close proximity."

Instead he advises spreading people out in different places of your home or moving the meal outside.

There are also a few changes he recommends when it comes to serving food. One change the local doctor has seen implemented on OU's Norman campus is to have one person serve everyone. This removes any shared touching of utensils.

But Dr. Bratzler said the main concern for exposure isn't the food, since typically the cooking process kills bacteria and viruses. He said the biggest risk is being around people unmasked. 

He also said a smaller group is better, especially since asymptomatic spread is a big concern.

Dr. Bratzler also wants to remind people, even those who got tested before visiting could still be at risk.

For more advice from Dr. Braztler, watch more of News 9's interview on Facebook.