HAMLIN, W.Va. — Sam Suiter, the Executive Director of the Lincoln County Health Department, has a few theories about what might be causing the spike in coronavirus cases on the local, state and national levels.

First, there’s the problem that some people deny that the virus exists, or think that it’s a mechanism in some conspiracy.

“For every person that takes the virus seriously, there is another that believes the pandemic is a complete hoax,” Suiter said.

Mistrust of accurate information being disseminated by health officials and, in some cases, outright denial of the virus’ existence only adds fuel to the flames, Suiter said.

“Until we get past this mentality, we will never get our numbers under control,” he laments.

Then, there’s the reality of COVID fatigue.

“Face it – we are all sick of hearing about COVID,” Suiter said.  “For the last eight months, all we have talked about is washing hands, social distancing and wearing face masks.

“It is a tired, dusty old message,” Suiter acknowledges. “The reality is that the best defense we have – at least until the vaccine is made available – is to follow these tried and true guidelines.”

And then there’s the fact that the virus continues to change over time.

“Viruses are constantly evolving,” Suiter said. “That is what makes them so difficult to eradicate in a population.  COVID-19 is not different in this respect.”

One thing, Suiter acknowledges, is not a theory, but rather a certainty. This week, families throughout Lincoln County and around the nation will gather for the Thanksgiving holiday.

“We expect to see a sharp spike in the number of COVID cases immediately after Thanksgiving,” Suiter said.

‘Recommending against travel’

The Thanksgiving holiday presents several avenues by which viruses like COVID can be spread, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledge. A community’s COVID level, exposure during travel, the location of the gathering, the duration of the gathering, the number of people in attendance, and the behavior of attendees both before and during the gathering may all affect whether one is exposed to or unknowingly spreads the virus.

Dr. Henry Walke, the Incident Manager for the CDC’s COVID-19 response, confessed the importance of family gatherings for the Thanksgiving holiday in a conference call with reporters late last week.

“With Thanksgiving approaching, our hearts and minds turn to seeing family and friends as part of one of our nation’s great traditions and we all need to consider the safest way to celebrate the holiday,” Walke said.

But, he said, traveling to see loved ones may not be the safest thing to do this year.

“Amid this critical phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, CDC is recommending against travel during the Thanksgiving holiday,” Walke said.

At his Friday, Nov. 20 press briefing, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice echoed the CDC’s advice.

“The CDC announced that travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19,” Justice said. “Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year. Celebrating virtually, or with the people you live with, is the safest choice this Thanksgiving.”

For those insisting on traveling to see loved ones, Justice encourages getting tested for COVID-19.

“I encourage all West Virginians to go get tested before Thanksgiving and before spending time with loved ones,” Gov. Justice said. “That’s just going to make things better.”

Suiter, LCHD’s Executive Director, warns that if proper precautions are not taken and recommended guidelines are not followed over the holiday, there could be repercussions that affect all Lincoln Countians and other West Virginians.

“I fear that there will be imposed lockdowns and mandatory closures if people do not take the virus seriously,” Suiter said.  “No one wants these things to happen.  Pretty please, with sugar on top – wash your hands, keep your distance from others, do not make unnecessary trips, and wear your masks when out in public.”

Gathering risk

While some may see little risk in gathering with other extended family members, Suiter reminds us that such gatherings could be risky because of the nature of the ever-changing virus itself.

“Early on [in the pandemic], in extended family living situations, if one person in a home would get COVID, we would see limited spread throughout the occupants of the home,” Suiter said. “Now, it seems that if one person gets it, everyone gets it.”

And once one family member is infected, the chain of infection can spread out to other members of the family – or even the community.

“In Lincoln County, I can think of five families that are responsible for more than 30 cases this month,” Suiter said. “Again, that is just five families.

“They did nothing wrong,” Suiter emphasizes. “They were not intentionally spreading the virus – they were just living their lives in what they considered a normal (or close to normal as possible) manner.”

Stopping the spread of the coronavirus can be achieved, Suiter said, even in light of the Thanksgiving holiday.

“If Lincoln Countians want to help, please wash your hands, keep your distance from others, do not make unnecessary trips, and wear your masks when out in public,” Suiter said.

And for those who continue to deny the virus’ existence?

“This virus is a real as it gets,” Suiter said. “I know of three families in this county [whose loved one died] that can honestly say that COVID-19 is a killer.”