Face masks can dampen the unfold of contagious illnesses.
OsakaWayne Studios/Getty Photographs/Second RF
conceal caption
toggle caption
OsakaWayne Studios/Getty Photographs/Second RF
Okay, so it looks as if everybody I do know has come down with COVID this summer season – even the individuals referred to as NOVIDs (by no means had COVID earlier than). I’m been fortunate up to now. What do I have to know to guard myself in the course of the present surge?
You in all probability know all of the methods to remain secure. However perhaps you’re affected by COVID amnesia — maybe the trauma of the early years of the pandemic has worn out your reminiscence of fundamental precautions like mask-wearing and hand-washing.
In the meantime, others have turn out to be COVID-indifferent, says Dr. William Schaffner, a professor within the division of infectious illnesses on the Vanderbilt College Faculty of Medication.
They’re residing in a bubble, pondering yeah, effectively, no matter, que sera sera — however it received’t occur to me.
Then got here the sturdy summer season surge of 2024 within the U.S. and plenty of different locations. “New waves of an infection have been registered within the Americas, Europe and the western Pacific,” the U.N. reported this month.
And, provides Schaffner, whereas getting the virus is a mere annoyance for a lot of, for others, particularly older adults and folks with underlying well being circumstances, the results could be dire. COVID can nonetheless make them fairly sick, land them within the hospital and end in lengthy COVID. And the virus can show deadly. This summer season within the U.S., there have been 400 to 600 deaths per week linked to COVID-19.
Maybe that’s the reason, for the primary time within the historical past of our Coronavirus FAQ collection, medical doctors have been emailing us and asking us to remind individuals of the methods to beat back the virus that launched a pandemic now in its fourth 12 months. So consider this version of as your COVID refresher course.
Vaccines. Sure, an up to date vaccine that addresses the at the moment circulating variants is on the way in which. Approval got here on Thursday. Right here’s our story.
Masks. A well-made masks — an N-95 or KN-95 — will nonetheless shield you even when others round you aren’t masked. And it’ll shield others when you may be contagious — say you’ve discovered you have been with somebody who since examined constructive however don’t know your standing, says Schaffner.
Throughout a COVID surge, you’re much less prone to contract the virus when you masks up in crowded areas like airports, airplanes and busy shops the place exhaled pathogens could also be within the air.
When making a masks determination, take into account that out of doors air is efficient at dispersing these pathogens.
Dr. Schaffner says he at the moment places on a masks every time he’s round different individuals as a result of he has a weak member of the family and desires to scale back the danger of bringing COVID house.
If you happen to’re out of masks observe, Schaffner offers a mild however agency reminder that your masks has to suit over your nostril and canopy your chin and cheeks to guard your mouth correctly. If you happen to take masks breaks for a deep breath or a sip of water, Schaffner recommends making it a brief break — outdoor if attainable or in an area the place you’re not round others.
And oh yeah, you’re in all probability going to must pay for the masks. The times of presidency masks, check, and COVID-19 vaccine and medicine giveaways are typically over.
Hold your distance. Placing some area between your self and others continues to be an excellent technique — regardless that earlier this summer season it was reported that the six-foot rule from the early days of the pandemic was not based mostly on knowledge. A 6-foot distance just isn’t a magic quantity that can forestall an infection since we now know that exhaled pathogens can journey a whole lot of ft. However as transmission skilled Linsey Marr explains, “As you get farther away from the contaminated particular person, aerosols turn out to be extra diluted, so the prospect of inhaling [particles] often goes down with distance.”
As an analogy, Marr suggests you consider cigarette smoke. Smaller COVID particles “behave like cigarette smoke. If you happen to’re near somebody who exhaled a giant puff of smoke, you’re uncovered to greater than when you’re farther away. The farther away you get, the higher.”
What if my housemate catches it? Am I subsequent? One other query to ponder within the wake of rising case counts: If my associate or housemate will get COVID do I robotically get it? Not essentially, as infectious illness specialist Dr. Abraar Karan wrote in a narrative for NPR this 12 months. If you happen to’re lucky, your roomie may need a brief window of contagiousness and won’t be a superspreader — some individuals simply don’t exhale a variety of pathogens. Open home windows and an indoor air filter can assist scale back your danger. As do masks, after all.
Testing, testing. And right here’s one other COVID reminder: be ready to check when you’re experiencing COVID-like signs.
However simply as masks giveaways are only a reminiscence, assessments are not free from the federal authorities or at your native library and now value about $7.50 every on-line and in shops. When you’ve got any in your COVID provide stash, verify this FDA web site to see if the expiration date has been prolonged. You may also verify expiration dates on objects you obtain in bulk in the course of the pandemic, comparable to acetaminophen to scale back COVID fevers and hand sanitizer, which although it lasts for 3 to 5 years, may be near or previous the expiration date when you purchased it when the world began shutting down in 2020. Expired hand sanitizer isn’t harmful, per the FDA, it simply could also be much less efficient at combating germs.
The timing of a check is important. Since most of us have at the very least some immunity to the virus from prior bouts and vaccines which might initially suppress your load of virus, testing early on won’t produce an correct end result. So it may take a number of days for a check to register the virus.
And do check, says Dr. Harish Moorjani, an infectious illness specialist at Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hole, N.Y.
Signs you suppose may be COVID-19 may very well be fall allergic reactions or flu or RSV. For correct remedy, advises Moorjani, it’s good to know what you do – or don’t have.
If you happen to do get COVID. People who check constructive for the coronavirus are not suggested by the CDC to remain house from work and college for 5 days.
1. Keep house and away from others you probably have respiratory virus signs comparable to fever, chills, fatigue, cough, runny nostril and headache.
2. You possibly can return to your regular actions when, for at the very least 24 hours, your signs are diminishing general, and you haven’t had a fever and should not utilizing fever-reducing medicine.
3. Take added precautions for the subsequent 5 days after a call to cease isolating: for instance, frequent hand washing, sporting a masks and bodily distance from others when you can.
So the general takeaway is: You possibly can finish your isolation sooner however a) you may nonetheless probably be slightly contagious and b) take into account that some individuals might be much less cautious about isolation, which will increase the danger of COVID publicity for most people (see: masks, above).
A observe about vaccine timing. We must always observe that when you’ve caught COVID throughout the previous few days or perhaps weeks you “could” wait three months from a constructive check or the beginning of signs, per the CDC, to ensure that your physique mounts a sturdy response to the vaccine. Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar on the Johns Hopkins Middle for Well being Safety, says that wait must be at the very least three months. That’s as a result of you probably have antibodies to the virus in your system due to a latest an infection, the immune response to a vaccine could be weak. says
New prices of COVID. Exams aren’t the one COVID-related merchandise you will have to pay for. People who find themselves uninsured or have excessive deductibles could must pay for vaccines and medicine on the finish of August when CDC ends its “bridge entry” program which helped present free protection for some COVID-related bills for such people.
COVID vaccines are free for individuals with medical health insurance together with Medicare and Medicaid, however Dr. Robert Hopkins,, chief medical officer of the Nationwide Basis for Infectious Ailments, reminds those that to keep away from copays or the complete value — about $120 for the up to date COVID vaccine, you must be vaccinated at an in-network supplier.
A big pharmacy chain shouldn’t be an issue however you probably have issues, notably about an unbiased pharmacy you may verify with them to see if they’re in your insurer’s community.
No insurance coverage or having a tough time discovering an in-network supplier? Name 211 for state well being division info and 311 for native well being division info to seek out out about neighborhood well being clinics and well being division drives that provide the vaccine totally free.
And in case your physician prescribes Paxlovid to scale back severity of signs, which Dr. Schaffner hopes is the case in case you are older or have underlying well being circumstances that enhance your danger for extreme illness when you get COVID-19, your well being insurer could cost a copay. Beforehand the federal authorities offered the drug totally free no matter insurance coverage standing.
If you happen to want help to afford Paxlovid, you may wish to contact Pfizer’s help program or name Pfizer at 877-219-7225.
Yet one more factor: The summer season surge will finish after all however bear in mind all this recommendation as a result of … a winter surge is probably going!
When you’ve got a query you would like us to think about for a future submit, e-mail us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the topic line: “Coronavirus Questions.” See an archive of our FAQs right here.
Fran Kritz is a well being coverage reporter based mostly in Washington, D.C., and a daily contributor to NPR. She additionally stories for the Washington Put up and Verywell Well being. Discover her on X: @fkritz
