CONTAGIOUS

Birx Advises Thanksgiving Travelers to ‘Assume That You Were Exposed’ to COVID-19

“If your family traveled, you have to assume that you were exposed and you became infected,” said Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus task force coordinator.

Attention, millions of Americans who traveled by plane, train, or automobile to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with other people, as COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations skyrocketed. White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx is advising those who gathered with people outside their households to get tested. “If your family traveled, you have to assume that you were exposed and you became infected,” Birx told CBS News, recommending anyone older than 65 get tested for the novel coronavirus immediately after developing any symptoms. Despite fervent warnings from public-health experts against traveling for the holiday, more passengers passed through airport security—1.17 million people—on Sunday than on any other day since the coronavirus pandemic first ravaged the country, significantly curtailing air travel, according to the Transportation Security Administration.