Be safe during the holidays Coronavirus virus pandemic

Due to family reunions for Christmas or crowds gathering in urban areas, while the bells are ringing at midnight on New Year’s Eve, there is concern that the large number of people who are confused during the holiday season could lead to a rise in COVID-19 infections. In fact, many people who will be celebrating are wondering how to be safe during the holiday season.

With the new variant, Omicron, which shows exponential growth and high transmissibility, you can do some things to keep yourself and your loved ones safe during this time.

The first line of defense is the vaccine. Although vaccines are not effective in preventing infection with Omicron, they do provide great protection against a serious form of the disease that may require hospitalization. So if you haven’t been vaccinated, this is the right time to do it. And if you are immunocompromised or at risk, taking a booster shot can help boost your immunity to the virus.

While the richest countries have at least 70 percent of the population vaccinated and are in a hurry to provide booster infusions, low-income countries have not been able to vaccinate all health workers and most at-risk populations. Vaccines have not been shared fairly, and the World Health Organization has repeatedly said that they leave us open to new variants that could weaken our current health tools and cause more waves of the virus.

Vaccine nationalism and the pronunciation of certain countries have undermined equity and created the perfect conditions for the emergence of the Omicron variant in a region with low vaccine coverage.

Perhaps this holiday season, we can reflect on the injustice of vaccine inequalities and increase public pressure on governments and manufacturers to share licenses and transfer technology and knowledge, especially with the new WHO-led mRNA technology transfer sites. of which has been established in South Africa. Among the worst 100-year pandemics, it seems ridiculous not to have shared all the initiatives, including access to intellectual property.

While vaccination is key to dealing with the pandemic, it is not enough. The last two years have been tough and even though we are tired of the pandemic, the virus is not tired of us. While it is crucial to see our loved ones mental and physical health, gathering large crowds is a potentially particularly fertile virus. We’re seeing examples of aircraft, nightclubs, and hotels in the ever-expanding Omicron variant that are spreading more effectively than ever before.

The new variant seems to be the most transmissible so far and the vaccine protection is easier to break than Delta or other previous variants. Although not only antibodies, but the immunity provided by B and T cells (which are more difficult to measure) reduces the risk of serious illness and death, it is clear that the threat remains, so public health and social measures remain critical tools to reduce infections.

Given that COVID-19 is a respiratory virus, and that it spreads in the air mostly through aerosols (small drops) and larger drops, it is important to know how to take care of it. By talking, singing, and breathing, people with COVID-19 can easily pass the virus to others. Of course, the closer you get and the longer you spend time with someone who is sick, the more likely you are to get the virus.

Viral transmission is further optimized in indoor settings where windows and doors are closed, where there is poor ventilation and people are not wearing masks. When cases are on the rise, there is always the opportunity to work and connect on digital platforms, but I understand the fatigue of using video sharing platforms in too many aspects of our lives. We often need this physical connection for all aspects of our health.

And it is possible to minimize the risk and keep yourself and your loved ones safe. For example, if you are meeting with friends or relatives, try to do it outside and in the smallest possible group. If it is inside, try to keep the windows open so that there is regular air exchange from the outside. If it is too cold, open it regularly to allow fresh air to circulate. Wearing good quality masks can help reduce infections and the latest evidence suggests that wearing universal masks significantly reduces the chances of infection. In fact, masks have been described as pocket vaccines and the WHO has specific guidelines for making high quality masks.

All candidates should be vaccinated as soon as possible. However, even if you get vaccinated and try to do your best, Omicron is so transmissible that you may still be exposed to the virus at some point. If you begin to experience symptoms, it is important to test them as soon as possible. While waiting for results, try to isolate yourself from other people so that you can break the chain of transmission.

The importance of early testing is also linked to the effectiveness of treatment; so the sooner you know if you are sick, the easier it is to determine when you should be treated or hospitalized. Fortunately, new oral treatments that reduce the severity of COVID-19 are available.

Holidays are a difficult time to navigate during a pandemic, but with vaccines and public health measures, there are ways to minimize the risk and still spend time with loved ones. As this year draws to a close and another begins, I am just as optimistic as ever that if governments and citizens work together, we can overcome the acute phase of this pandemic together and use that momentum to meet the other challenges of our time.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial attitude of Al Jazeera.