Tis that season... again.
Perhaps many of us have forgotten how to travel... but this one is worth the refresher. Never has avoiding crowds become so paramount.
Instead of exiting the airport through the arrivals terminal, consider getting picked up at the departures terminal. Not only is the departures terminal only one elevator or escalator ride away, it may be less crowded, making it far easier to avoid people and germs.
(Case in point: Night arrivals can be packed if you're coming in from the last flight of the day, but there will be far fewer planes leaving at night.)
No one is interested in actually participating in the Hunger Games.
Most airports have the arrivals and departures set up on different levels of the airport, so if the flight schedules work in your favor, it may make more sense to go to the opposite level to avoid the flow of traffic.