Last year, health experts had warned people to keep their celebrations coronavirus-friendly during the holiday season, which is why many people skipped their travel plans and decided to skip large gatherings. These suggestions are also likely to continue during any festivities held in the coming months, including valentine’s day.
With v-day coming nearer, the majority is expected to head out with their loved ones and partners especially after staying indoors for an entire year. Coronavirus fatigue is one of the biggest contributors to new outbreaks in the past few weeks. It is also the reason why many may still celebrate valentine’s day regardless of the rising number of cases.
However, it is now more important to stay indoors and make alternative plans for spending time together since many new variants of SARS-CoV-2 are spreading. According to health agencies, the new strains of the virus are dangerous and may lead to an even higher transmission rate of the virus.
A new of studies on the UK strain shows that it is much more contagious than the previous variants and may cause an increase in hospitalizations. Additionally, the South African strain also transmits easily and may also be more dangerous as the mutations in this variant may reduce the effectiveness of some vaccines.
Though there is a need for further investigation on the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines against new variants, scientists state that the rise of new strains itself is a concern. Even if the aforementioned strains are not as dangerous, new variants that may emerge in the future can possibly be resistant to the vaccines and treatments.
Read also: Social Distancing Alone Cannot Protect from the Coronavirus
As the variants are spreading all over the world, staying indoors and taking preventive measures for coronavirus is very important in the coming weeks even on valentine’s day. Therefore, try to think of different ways of celebrating this year instead of following the conventional ones.
Instead of going out for fancy dinners and valentine’s day themed parties, have a romantic evening at home. This can be done in a number of ways such as setting up a new space at home and having dinner there. Cooking food together can also be romantic.
In a similar way, ordering flowers, candles, and decorations can also further help in changing the environment at home. This will also help in celebration and in taking a break from the usual stressful life, online work, or online school.
For people who are struggling financially due to the effects of the pandemic, the most affordable way to celebrate valentine’s day this year is by simply expressing love either by taking time out specifically to talk to each other or even writing down a love note.
Do not forget that it is perfectly acceptable to not succumb to the pressure of celebration in a certain way. The day is all about remembering and showing appreciation for a partner or even for family members, friends, and pets. It can be done without any expensive or fancy dresses, dinners, and arrangements.
In case there are plans of going out or having a small gathering in the coming weeks, try to follow CDC’s guidelines for safe holiday celebrations.