Morgan County is experiencing a surge in Coronavirus cases, and health professionals are concerned about how people's behavior during the Thanksgiving holiday could make things even worse.
The doctors and nurses in the COVID unit at Decatur Morgan Hospital's Parkway Campus said we should all be worried about ourselves and all those around us.
"If you're not worried about your safety, at least keep someone else's safety in mind. We do it when we get behind a car every day and you know we try to watch out for everyone else around us, at least try to watch out for everyone else's health as well," said COVID unit nurse, Susan Dickerscheid.
Susan Dickerscheid works as a nurse on the COVID unit at Decatur Morgan Hospital's Parkway Campus.
She says her patients all experience the virus differently.
"You may have someone who's young and very sick, you may have someone who's old and not very sick. It's constantly changing, no one's the same," said Dickerscheid.
Doctor Alex Penot says working during the Coronvirus pandemic has been tough.
"It's very difficult to be concerned about the patients and also realizing that you're potentially at danger yourself," said Dr. Alex Penot.
Concerns about bringing the virus home and spreading it to family members adds to that worry.
"And it's just stressful the amount of, you know several days you've got people that you're intubating several people, several people are dying in the same day. It's just a very difficult process to get through," said Dr. Penot.
They want us all to remember the virus can affect anyone.
"There's no rhyme or reason. The virus doesn't decide based on a person's age, on their gender, on anything. There's no constant," said Dickerscheid.
For thanksgiving the doctors and nurses are suggesting that family members wear masks around one another and spend less time in poorly ventilated areas and more time outside.
And if possible, family members should eat Thanksgiving dinner in shifts to be able to spread out more.
To help stop the surge in Coronavirus cases this holiday season wear your mask properly, wash your hands, and don't touch your face.