PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Health officials say the numbers of COVID-19 cases and related deaths have improved drastically from the beginning of the year, but they want people to stay up to date on antiviral vaccines as families gather for the holidays.
A lot of people, however, are ready to move on from the COVID conversation despite the advice from experts.
Older adults and people who are immunocompromised, like cancer patients, have a higher risk of developing serious COVID symptoms. Holiday gatherings have become viral super-spreaders in the past.
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health reports one person was hospitalized with COVID last week, compared to 122 in the first week of 2023. The city's most recently reported COVID-related death was in the first week of October.
While that’s an improvement from earlier this year, Dr. Landrus Burress, who heads the department’s disease control division, still says you should get COVID, flu and RSV shots to help protect your loved ones. “That is the best way for you to add a holiday gift to your family, by helping to reduce the spread,” he said.
“Right now, we are seeing just a steady pace of COVID-19 numbers,” he added. “However with the change in weather and the change of the season, we do expect cases to go up slightly.”
But many people who spoke with KYW Newsradio, like Tony Wilson-Johnson, say they plan to welcome unvaccinated guests and wouldn’t turn a loved-one away because they haven't gotten a shot.
“That's not even an option, that don't really make sense, because no matter what, if COVID [comes or goes], we still got to live,” he said, maintaining that anyone who doesn't feel well will stay home for the holiday or wear a mask.
Wilson-Johnson regards COVID much like the common cold. “I ain't gonna keep worrying about it. Nothing we can do,” he said. “If it's here, it's here. If it's not, it's not.”
He isn’t alone. Without pandemic restrictions in place, others like Will are moving on from the COVID vaccination conversations.
"I'm not asking, I don't care. I mean, some people ask but I don't think anyone really cares one way or the other,” he said. In fact, masks are out at his house.
“I think if you're wearing them now, you kind of get looked at like... ‘Why are you wearing that?’ You know what I mean.”
People above 85 years old are at the highest risk of developing serious COVID symptoms. It’s also a serious threat for anyone living with chronic lung conditions, diabetes and heart disease.