For anyone who is still deciding whether to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends, there's an interactive map created by a team of researchers that can help with that decision.
The interactive map, created by professors at the Georgia Institute of Technology, shows the likelihood that at least one person would test positive for COVID-19 when gathering with a group of 10 or more people in a given area.
The map includes data for every U.S. county and shows the risk for infection using data of recent COVID-19 cases across the country.
The data depends on the size and location of the gathering. For example, for a gathering of people in Fayette County, Kentucky, the likelihood that at least one person would test positive for COVID-19 is:
- 28% for a group of 10 people
- 39% for a group of 15 people
- 48% for a group of 20 people
- 56% for a group of 25 people
- 81% for s group of 50 people.
Nearly 40% of people say they will likely attend a Thanksgiving gathering with 10 or more people despite the risk of catching COVID-19, according to a recent survey by Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center.
Another survey of parents nationwide found nearly a third say the benefits of gathering with extended family for the holidays are worth the risk of spreading or getting the coronavirus. The survey, conducted by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in partnership with the University of Michigan, says almost 3-in-5 plan to see extended family in person.
Experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year. They recommend hosting a virtual gathering, if possible, to avoid another spike in cases.
To use the Georgia Institute of Technology's map, click here.
This story was originally published by Jordan Mickle on WLEX in Lexington, Kentucky.
