Madeleine Kojakian is ready to spread Christmas cheer at her party, but there’s one thing she doesn’t want to spread: the cocktail of flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19 going around this season.
So she takes a series of precautions when hosting.
“Whatever you can do to keep everybody safe,” Kojakian said. “What I ask my guests before, when I’m sending out the invites, or when I’m texting them, ‘Please, if you’re not feeling them, I won’t be offended if you don’t come so let me know. Cancel, it’s OK.'”
Kojakian, who is an event planner at Maddy K Events, has many other tips to host safely during the holidays.
She sets up the dining table and assigns seating, so people can’t lose track of their plates and stemware.
“I have little charms so that when people do get up and walk around — let’s say they want to come and help me in the kitchen — they have the charms so we avoid cross-contamination with the glasses, people stick to their glasses,” Kojakian said.
Kojakian says a designated server for plates and drinks is helpful.
“Having a designated server works, it helps because you’re not putting the platters and people are not using the serving utensils one after the other,” the planner said.
Hand sanitizer stations are scattered throughout her house and she also makes sure air is circulating in her home.
“I love opening this kitchen window, just because it’s close by to the dining room as well as it’s close to the family area,” she said.
When opening a window is not an option, epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos encourages people to improve ventilation mechanically.
“And you would largely do that by getting an air filter,” Labos said.
Labos says you can also DIY a Corsi-Rosenthal box, which filters the air. You can assemble it at home with a few materials such as furnace filters and duct tape.
As emergency rooms across the city are overwhelmed dealing with sick people, Quebec Premier François Legault is urging caution.
“It’s important to wear the mask when there are many people to protect vulnerable people,” Legault said while visiting the Sainte-Justine children’s hospital.