As Americans prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving next week, some doctors shared what they're planning for the holiday.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NPR’s Rachel Martin on Morning Edition Tuesday that his Thanksgiving will be "significantly" different this year than previous holidays.
His three adult daughters — who live in separate parts of the country — said that they did not want to put him, as an elderly person, at risk. Fauci is 79 years old.
He and his wife will have a meal and Zoom with his daughters to spend time with them.
“I don’t like it that way, but I think they’re making a prudent decision in trying to protect their father and I’m proud of them for that,” he said.
CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta also said he won't be visiting family this year.
"I have three daughters, and with my elderly parents living in a different state, this is usually the time of year when we get to see each other," he wrote in an article explaining why he's staying home. "But this holiday season, our interactions will be on screens -- with promises and hopes that next year will be different."
And CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen — who has urged Americans to skip indoor gatherings, but said it's possible to visit family by socializing outdoors — described how she has hosted outdoor get-togethers.
"I like to have a big table in the middle, where I put all the drinks and plates," she said. "I also have chairs set up so that every household is spaced at least 6 feet apart. I'll pour drinks and then have people come up, individually, to pick them up. Food should be plated separately; no buffets or people reaching into a common bowl. We won't share food or drinks."