The nation's top infectious disease doctor is urging people to wear masks indoors for those having others at their home for Thanksgiving.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says any gathering that includes people from outside your home comes with some inherent risk, and if you must gather with people who don't live with you, wearing a mask is essential.

"Now, obviously common sense -- you're sitting at a table, particularly over the next couple of days when you're dealing with the Thanksgiving holiday, you can't have a mask on as you're eating and drinking," says Fauci. "But in other areas at other times when you're in the house, if you have people in your home that are not members of the immediate household and you're not really sure as to their level of exposure, then to the extent possible you should wear the mask indoors."

Fauci's recommendation comes as coronavirus cases are surging to record levels across the country. More than 12.4 million COVID-19 cases and 257,000 fatalities have been reported in the U.S. to date.

Stony Brook University Hospital infectious disease specialist Dr. Sharon Nachman says while it may feel awkward to sit around the living room wearing a mask, people should try to do it to protect their families.

"Even if people look completely well, that doesn't mean that they're not incubating the virus and more importantly, they're infectious even before they have symptoms," says Nachman. "We always assume that people who are symptomatic, that's their first day of illness. But in fact, they're infectious the day before they are symptomatic."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adds that if you're planning to gather with people from outside your home, one person should serve the good and use single-use options like plastic utensils.