The holiday season is descending upon the masses, filling the air with not only cheer and good tidings, but also coronavirus. As much as regulations have relaxed since the pandemic first started, the virus has not. It is the responsibility of all students and staff at Gabrielino High School to take precautions when meeting with others over Winter Break.

   With coronavirus cases seemingly at a plateau, it can be easy to neglect basic safety measures such as masks and social distancing when going out to enjoy the holidays. However, one only has to look at the fallout of last winter to see why this behavior is dangerous. December 2021 saw the highest spike in coronavirus cases in the history of the pandemic, according to CNBC.

   The effects of this were felt acutely at Gabrielino, where so many students and teachers were sick with COVID-19 following Winter Break that the school was shut down for two days.

   Since last year, rates of infection have lowered, but the arrival of the winter season brings yet another period of elevated risk. Viruses flourish in air with low humidity, as researched in a study by Columbia University, which is why diseases such as coronavirus can spread so easily in the dry winter air.

   Countries such as the U.K., France, and Italy are already beginning to see a rise in cases. Scientists, such as Michael Osterholm from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, are warning that this does not bode well for the United States.

   “In the past, what’s happened in Europe often has been a harbinger for what’s about to happen in the United States,” Osterholm told NPR. “We have to be prepared for what they are beginning to see in Europe.”

   However, the country is nowhere near prepared. Hospitals are more understaffed than ever, with “more than half a million people in the health-care and social services sectors” having quit in September due to the mental stresses of the job, according to the Washington Post.

   Additionally, the evolution of the virus has led to waning vaccine efficacy. While new boosters are available to protect against recent strains, such as the latest one released on Sept. 2, uptake of these boosters has been as slow as 11 percent among eligible Americans, as reported by CNN.

   With these risks in mind, engaging in safety precautions is as important as ever. One effective way of limiting the spread of the virus is getting tested regularly for COVID-19, especially before large gatherings and prior to returning to school in January. Free COVID-19 tests are available at the Gabrielino health office.

   Getting the latest booster shots, while not an invincible shield against the virus, will help lessen transmission and promote quick recovery. Even after getting the vaccine, it is still a safe decision to wear masks when indoors as another line of defense.

   As much as turning back to the habits of the early pandemic might feel like a step backward, it is a necessary hurdle to move forward into a virus-free world. Taking precautions during Winter Break gatherings and celebrations is a small price to pay for making the world a bit safer – both during the holidays and beyond.