Covid is not just a cold and flu
A lot of people have said getting covid feels like cold and flu. Unfortunately while the symptoms are similar, Covid is much more serious. Some people can develop long Covid and experience on going brain fog, fatigue, body aches, head aches, and higher risk for heart attack weeks after infection.. All these symptoms can degrade one’s quality of life and saps ones energy. Unfortunately it is not known yet why some people get long Covid. Our best protection against long Covid is therefore to not get Covid in the first place or if already infected, not to get reinfected.
Less vaccine protection from Omicron BA.5 Covid Variants
With majority of the US population vaccinated, the rate of hospitalization and death is much lower than at the start of the pandemic. Infection rates however remain high due to the virus mutating and the waning antibody effectiveness over time. The Omicron variants have mutations in the Spike protein which has made the current vaccines that target the original variant less effective. New bivalent vaccines that has protection for original and the new BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants are in the final stages of getting FDA approval around September 2022.
The table as of 8/30/22 shows BA.5 is the most dominate variant.
Until the new vaccines arrive, here are some tips to avoid getting infected.
Keep Up to date with Vaccination
Vaccination provides good protection against serious illness from Covid. It also reduces chance for long Covid.
Get the BA.5 bivalent vaccine
Once the BA.5 bivalent vaccines are available, schedule an appointment to get the shot. These vaccines contains messenger RNA code for body’s cells to produce the Spike protein found in the BA.5 virus as well as the original strain. These spike proteins trains the body to recognize the BA.5 spike protein and produce antibodies specific for that spike protein to prevent the virus from entering the cell.
Avoid crowded indoor space
If you have a choice between eating inside or outdoors, outdoors is less risky. Reason why indoor pose higher COVID risk is the virus concentration builds up over time. Vapor containing the virus has no where to go and stay in one place. High virus concentration increases the possibility that a person might breath in the virus. Fresh air must rush into the indoor space to reduce the concentration. An indoor space can also reduce virus concentration by using air purifiers to filter the air droplets that could contain the virus. In an outdoor setting, when someone breath vapor containing the virus, the vapors get diffused into the air in every direction very quickly. The effect is similar to smoke diffusing and thin out. The concentration does not build up like in indoor.
When choosing when to shop grocery, select a time when it’s less busy.
You can avoid going inside the grocery store entirely by ordering online and have it dropped off to you in the parking lot. Some grocery store such as Costco can also delivery to one’s house with same day delivery for a slightly higher price.
Layers of Protection
Sometimes we have to go indoors or be around other people. In this situation, the first layer of defense is to wear a high quality mask. The virus enters a person through the mouth and nose. We need to build barriers to block the virus entry. Wear the highest level of protection that you can comfortably wear. The level protection ranking from highest to lowest is: N95, KN95, surgical mask, and cloth mask.
Get Tested
When joining a large gathering, it helps if everyone get tested. Testing should be done each day. Someone can have Covid and contagious but not exhibit any symptoms. The rapid antigen tests look for presence of the virus material and gets results within 15 minutes. It is highly accurate when it tests positive which means the individual is contagious. By testing, the person who tests positive can isolate and avoid spreading it to others.
Exercise and Good Diet
An active person generally have stronger immune system. Avoid excessive sugar and eat a variety of vegetables. Also avoid processed food. A healthy person with a ready immune system has a better chance of stopping the virus.
Get some sunlight
Get outside and be exposed to some level of sunlight. The sunlight in the early hours of the day and around sunset have lower UV and can have some health benefits. Sun rays during these periods go through more of the Earth’ atmosphere and the UV level is reduced as the rays hits more atoms in the atmosphere. Ask your smartphone like Siri “what’s the current UV index” to see if the UV risk is at a safe level. UV index of 1 is generally safe. Avoid sun expose during the mid day when UV is strong where it is directly over the Earth’s atmosphere. Apply sunscreen as neccessary.
Sleep Well
Sleep plays an important role in our general well being and helps maintain a strong immune system. Avoid screen time an hour before bedtime to allow your body to sleep. Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the second half of the day to avoid having it impact your ability to fall asleep.