The renewed breakout of COVID-19 after the short-lived normalcy of Halloween has struck a greater awareness of the highly infectious disease in individuals across the nation.  While many are anxious about the increasing cases, the dropping temperatures and upcoming heavy snowfall have slightly seized the general fear this year has introduced in our world. The festive atmosphere has been rapidly working its way into our everyday lives; wrapping paper, stockings, winter decor, and more are already being implemented into local stores with colorful lights stimulating the early sunrise. As the season of giving begins to plant its consumerist attractions in the media, stores are expected to handle larger crowds and maintain COVID-19 precautions, while online sellers are anticipating a soaring rate in the number of buyers consuming from their business.

Although personal preference is respectable, it is encouraged to look into smaller businesses this Christmas season. The owners are arguably more passionate about their products and are reviewed to be more intimate with their customers, often including extra goodies in their orders and cards expressing their gratitude for buying. Small businesses may even be a better option in regards to safety during the pandemic since the owners can take additional precautions to prevent the spread of the disease. While more widely known organizations may wear gloves to suppress the advancement of COVID-19, smaller businesses are more inclined to sanitize their hands in between each order, minimizing cross-contamination.

Whether you buy gifts online from smaller or larger organizations, many health experts believe it is critical to recognize the sanitization of the package when they arrive. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that the virus may live from hours to days on different surfaces. After a short amount of experiments, which will continue to be conducted to discover more answers about the spread of the virus, cardboard was found to have the virus live on it for 24 hours. Although it is still up in the air as to how probable the transmission of the virus is through surfaces like these packages alone or others like doorknobs, it is suggested to take precautionary steps with the delivery. The workers delivering the packages have been found to spread the transmission of the disease and not admit to their illness out of fear of losing their jobs, making it a vital supplementary step to disinfect the item. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommended to “dispose of the outer packaging outside of your home and wash your hands immediately after handling.” As for the people who will shop in-store, sanitize your hands before entering the location and remain socially distanced while shopping. These steps will counter the pandemic, allowing us to have the best Christmas possible this year.