First, I want to tell you I received my 2nd shot this week… I’ve finally joined the list of those fully vaccinated (well, I will once a couple of weeks have passed for the vaccine to do its magic). It feels good to be better protected and helping to make our world safer!
COVID-19 still has a fascination for many of us—it’s still often the first item on the news each day, especially here in Eastern Canada where provincial borders have been closed for months except for essential travel. I don’t know about you, but I can’t resist reading the latest study or statistics on the coronavirus. I expect we’ll be learning about it for many years to come.
So, this week I thought I’d write about some of the COVID (not-so-trivial) trivia I’ve been reading in the medical news, as researchers work to solve the mysteries and questions about the coronavirus and how it behaves.
Can we stop wearing masks once fully vaccinated?
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, gave the perfect answer to this question we all want answered: “It depends…”. Here’s how she explained it: Vaccines are never 100% effective, so you need to consider how much risk you can tolerate and how risky your surroundings are when deciding whether to wear a mask. You should think about:
Personal risk:
Are you vaccinated? One shot or two?
Do you have any underlying health conditions that could add to your risk if you do get sick?
Are you taking any medications that suppress your immune system? (steroids, organ rejection drugs, certain arthritis/psoriasis/inflammatory bowel disease medications, etc.)
Environmental risk:
Are you indoors or out? (Outside is safer)
What is the infection rate in the area?
Are the people you are with vaccinated?
Can you physically distance from others?
As you can see, having a strong ability to fight off any potential coronavirus infection plus a low to non-existent risk of close contact with anyone with the virus means the event is much safer and a mask might be unnecessary. Those who are less healthy will want to keep using a mask in crowded places, like a grocery store, and we all would be wise to use one if there are any cases in the general area. I plan to continue using one for a while yet.
Officials are warning that, as we open up our communities, there is a good chance cases will increase again as people travel more. Our province waited until 75% of adults were partially vaccinated and 20% were fully vaccinated before beginning to reopen, and changes will be gradual to minimize the potential of a 4th wave of infections until 75% are fully vaccinated (hopefully by mid-summer!).
Can dogs and cats catch COVID-19?
Yes! A small study found that 1/3 of cats and 1/4 of dogs, whose owners were infected with COVID-19, also tested positive for the coronavirus. Animals were at less risk if they spent more time outdoors and away from their owners, but they only displayed mild symptoms or none at all. There have been no reported cases of humans catching the coronavirus from their pets, including from virus being transported on their fur, and risk is considered low.
Should you get vaccinated if you have long COVID?
Yes! Those with “long COVID”—lingering symptoms like fatigue and loss of taste and smell that persist for weeks to months after recovery from an acute infection—will sometimes notice an improvement in symptoms after receiving immunization. Researchers suspect that the response to the vaccine enables the immune system to eliminate lingering low levels of virus that may be causing ongoing symptoms.
How much does the first shot help?
Studies find varying levels of response to the first injection of COVID-19 vaccine, depending on the person’s immune system response and the virus variants in the area, but a recent study found 81% response to the first shot and 91% to the second. Another study predicted a 40 to 50% reduction in ability to transmit the coronavirus after a single shot. Because of a worldwide shortage in vaccine, several countries have decided to delay the second shot by up to 4 months with the goal of reducing total deaths from the virus. Interestingly, older people have been noted to mount three and a half times larger response when the second dose is delayed to 12 weeks after the first. This suggests we should get an excellent response when boosters are needed.
What can we do to fly more safely?
Here are some suggestions I found to help keep you safer if you're thinking of taking a flight:
Avoid non-essential air travel unless fully vaccinated (2 weeks after 2nd shot), as currently advised.
Check conditions (infection rate) at your destination.
Wear a mask in taxis, airports and planes. Consider double-masking and ensure mask fits properly (no gaps). Remember children cannot yet be vaccinated and a recent survey suggests that as many as 20% of unvaccinated adults stated they would lie if necessary to gain access to “vaccinated only” venues… :-o
Roll down windows in taxis going to and from airports to improve air circulation.
Bring snacks/lunches. Service is limited on many flights. If possible, eat before boarding the plane to avoid the need to remove your mask. If it’s necessary to eat on the plane, having your own food make it faster for you to eat, meaning your mask will be off for less time.
Note that large aircraft all have HEPA (high-efficiency) air filter systems, but smaller, older aircraft may not. Exercise extra caution when taking smaller, regional flights.
Are rashes a symptom of COVID?
Yes, weird skin rashes are now recognized as another symptom of COVID-19, along with fever, dry cough, loss of taste and smell, headaches, muscle and joint pain, nasal congestion, and fatigue.
Chilblain-like red/purple, swollen, or blistered skin on toes (mainly in children and young adults) were recognized first and nicknamed “COVID-toes”, but now they realize these can occur in fingers as well as toes. Sometimes this is the only symptom that is noted. Other types of rashes are now known to occur also. These include:
Macropapular rash (flat and raised areas of discoloured skin) found on the trunk of 47% of patients, usually those middle-aged to elderly.
Hives (aka uticaria—raised areas of itchy skin), in 26% of patients, although sometimes these occur as a side-effect of medications used to treat COVID-19.
Vesicular lesions (fluid-filled sacs under the skin, similar to chicken pox) that appear about 2 weeks after infection in about 9% of cases.
It’s affected us all…
During the past year and a half, we’ve all suffered at least a little from “COVIDosos”—my made-up name for the effect the virus has on us even if we didn’t catch it. We’ve gone through difficult changes like learning to physical distance and getting used to wearing masks, and we've experienced stress and worry, as the virus waves crashed over us.
Closed gyms, cancelled activities, and spending more time at home to avoid potential exposure to the virus have made it more difficult to stay in shape. And closed borders, quarantines and cancelled trips have left us missing family and friends. Thank goodness for video chats! But I’m excited to be starting to get back to normal, or at least the “new normal”, whatever that turns out to be.
I sometimes think how strange our great-grandchildren will think this time must have been. I had started an art/travel journal in January 2020, when we arrived in Spain for a 3-month winter escape. When the pandemic hit, it became my COVID journal, as we watched Spain begin to close down, travelled through airports on the way home and then self-isolated for 2 weeks at home. I still write in it from time to time. Sometimes I wonder if journals such as mine will survive and possibly be of interest to a future generation one day…
References:
COVID-19 and pets: Can dogs and cats get coronavirus? https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/expert-answers/can-pets-get-coronavirus/faq-20486391
How to fly safely this summer—CNN Travel http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/flying-safely-summer-2021-wellness/index.html
In Surprise Twist, COVID-19 Can Cause Weird Skin Rashes. Here’s What to Look Out For—Science Alert https://www.sciencealert.com/in-surprise-twist-covid-19-can-cause-weird-skin-rashes-here-s-what-we-know
Delaying 2nd Pfizer vaccine dose may protect better against COVID-10: study—Global News https://globalnews.ca/news/7861754/pfizer-vaccine-second-dose-delay/
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