One third of parents said gathering with family members at Thanksgiving is 'worth the risk of' coronavirus, according to a poll

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  • Around one-third of parents said that "benefits of gathering with family at Thanksgiving are worth the risk of spreading or getting COVID-19," according to a report from CS Mott Children's Hospital at Michigan Medicine.

  • Experts have warned the US is in a massive third surge of coronavirus cases, and the US recorded a total of over 12 million confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University.

  • Amid the alarming number of new daily cases of coronavirus across the country, the CDC warned Americans against traveling during the Thanksgiving holidays.

  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

For one in three parents, the risk of coronavirus does not weigh down the benefits of a family gathering at Thanksgiving, according to a poll.

In a report from CS Mott Children's Hospital at Michigan Medicine, based on answers received in August from parents with at least one child below the age of 13, about a third of parents said that "benefits of gathering with family at Thanksgiving are worth the risk of spreading or getting COVID-19."

Sixty-one percent of parents said they plan to celebrate Thanksgiving in-person with extended family, although around 2 out of 3 parents said they planned to not include family members "who have not been practicing COVID-19 precautions," according to the poll.

The US has recorded a total of over 12 million confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. Experts have warned the US is in a massive third surge of coronavirus cases, as more people spend time indoors due to the cold weather and more Americans are likely to make riskier decisions as they experience "pandemic fatigue" from a prolonged loss of normality.

Amid the alarming number of new daily cases of coronavirus across the country, the CDC warned Americans against traveling during the Thanksgiving holidays. Over the past few weeks, many states across the country announced stricter travel and gathering restrictions, as Business Insider's Yelena Dzhanova reported, and some governors have changed course from their original stance to enforce new mask mandates.

Even so, one survey showed around 40% of Americans said they planned in-person gatherings for Thanksgiving. Over 3 million people went through the airport security checkpoints between Friday and Sunday according to the Transportation Security Administration, and photos and videos showed some airport terminals packed with people.

Many public health experts, including the nation's leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, said that he would not be spending Thanksgiving with his adult children this year. Public health experts said they were planning to celebrate the holiday virtually or eat dinner outside, Business Insider's Morgan McFall-Johnsen and Aylin Woodward reported.

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