The holidays are here and many of us are trying to take extra precautions to avoid contracting COVID-19. We may not have as many restrictions as last year, but late November and December are filled with holidays and gatherings that may increase the chance of contracting COVID-19 if we’re not too careful.

Although we can’t eliminate all risk, we can mitigate it, especially by creating various kinds of accommodations for people with higher risk factors. Let’s hope vaccines and therapeutics will keep catching up with the new variants as they emerge and evolve. But the bottom line is that we still have to go on living as close to normal as possible: sending kids to school, letting them see friends, going to our jobs, socializing, eating at our favorite restaurants, consuming culture, and all the rest.

Thankfully, we have quicker options for testing like The Rapid test and multiple options for COVID-19 vaccines. Kids ages 5 and up have recently become eligible to get vaccinated making it easier to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and the New Year with loved ones. 

Our job this 2021 holiday season is to plan accordingly- ahead of time,  and take precautions when celebrating any and all holidays this season. After all, there are still people unvaccinated and if you’re not testing, you’re guessing. AFC Urgent Care Natick wants you to have a COVID-19 free Christmas holiday and has created a guide for you to plan ahead with these precautions:

Precautions For Traveling This Christmas

Traveling has gotten a little easier because of the COVID-19 vaccines, but it’s still a process. If your way of celebrating Christmas is to travel to another state or country, you should start planning what you’ll need now, depending on your destination.

If you’re vaccinated, you’re good to fly without delay if you’re flying domestically. The only thing is that if you fly internationally, you should monitor symptoms when you return as other countries have other variants.

If you’re not vaccinated, it’ll be more of a hassle to get tested before you go and for when you return to the U.S. And, let’s not forget that you have to quarantine in some cases otherwise you’ll get fined. The best thing is to keep reading The CDC guidelines as they update their travel guidance regularly for unvaccinated and vaccinated folk.

COVID-19 Is Not The Only Virus To Watch Out For This Christmas

The flu, colds, norovirus and believe it or not,  hand, foot, and mouth diseases are currently circulating. 

You definitely want to plan ahead by getting a flu shot to protect against the flu this year. Why? Not only is the flu shot about protecting you from the flu, but it’s also protection for others who are immunocompromised. 

Flu season already began weeks ago, and we already have to worry about COVID-19 cases. Get a flu shot before you go to any gathering with your family to avoid the “twindemic”. It can take up to two weeks to build immunity, but it will help protect seniors, pregnant women, and high-risk individuals.  

Confused about the symptoms of flu, COVID-19, or colds? We break it down here in the chart below:

ALT TEXT - AFC Urgent Care Natick Explains The Symptoms And Differences Between Cold, Flu, And COVID-19

Plan your COVID-19 Tests Before And After Your Christmas Celebrations 

If your celebrations are local, you can plan a rapid COVID-19 test before your gathering or event at AFC Urgent Care in Natick. We offer Rapid testing on a walk-in basis with results on the same day. 

There is no appointment needed, but as we get closer to the holidays, wait times may be longer due to an increase in demand for testing. Plan ahead to avoid the Christmas rush. 

 of COVID is not knowing,  and if you’re not testing, you’re guessing when going to the next event in the following week. Don’t be that person who jeopardizes a holiday gathering because you didn’t get tested.

AFC Urgent Care Natick Wishes Everyone A Happy Holiday Season

We can help you stay COVID-19 prepared this holiday season. AFC Urgent Care Natick is open 7 days a week with NO appointment needed.

We offer COVID-19 testing and flu vaccines to help our friends and families prepare for Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year, and future holidays. And, if you need us for sprains, X-rays, minor injuries, allergies, or any acute illnesses, we can help treat that too! You can count on your healthcare heroes at AFC Urgent Care Natick to be here for all of your urgent care needs.