According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) 82% of people in the USA have had a COVID infection. For many people this infection has been asymptomatic. Of the people who have had symptomatic infections, many have had more than one documented infection. The current Omicron sub-variants of COVID, BA.4 & BA.5 are highly infectious, which explains why people who have some immunity can still become re-infected. All this sounds like bad news. Really the only silver lining in the current COVID epidemic is that partial immunity conferred by immunization and previous infection does seem to protect all but the most immuno-compromised people from hospitalization and death. Still getting a COVID infection can be a very unpleasant experience for several days to several weeks. We are now in a stage of personal responsibility; both for protecting one’s self and caring for each other.
So what are the current public health recommendations to decrease your risk from COVID infection?
- Get the full series of two COVID immunizations plus a booster. If you are over the age of 50 or are immuno-compromised, get a second booster four months after the first one.
- If you are worried about the risk of becoming infected with COVID, wear a well fitted N-95 mask while indoors in public places. This is your decision that you should make depending on your individual risk tolerance. Be respectful of other peoples’ choices when they are different from yours.
- If you develop any symptoms suggestive of COVID: fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, or unusual fatigue, take a COVID test. If positive, isolate yourself and call your physician right away to see if you are eligible for Paxlovid, a medication used to prevent serious complications from COVID.