The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released guidelines indicating that adults who are fully vaccinated can perform their regular activities without wearing a mask. But you should remember that you are only considered fully vaccinated if two weeks have passed after you received the full dose of the vaccine. A full dose is the two doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines or the single dose of the Janssen vaccine.
Despite this, you should still be aware of the emergence of new variants that may be resistant to the vaccines. While the vaccines may reduce the effects of the virus, experts are still working on studying the effects of the new variants of the virus. It may even require further research on pharmaceutical technology and additional vaccine development to boost its effectiveness against the virus. The authorities are concerned about the new variants since some of them appear to be more contagious than the original.
Here are the things you can do to protect yourself from the new variants of the virus that caused the world to stop in its tracks last year.
Get Vaccinated
The best way for you to get protected is by getting yourself vaccinated. The government already administered more than 285 million vaccine doses and getting fully vaccinated allows you to enjoy the activities you used to do before the pandemic. While the government may need to give a booster shot to protect you from the new variants, you’ll still have a level of protection against the virus with the vaccines currently available. The vaccine is particularly important for people who are at risk of becoming a severe case if they get infected.
Wear a Mask
The CDC may have released guidelines that allowed fully vaccinated people not to wear a mask, but you may also wear it as added protection. If you haven’t received the vaccine yet, then it’s a must for you to wear it.
While a cloth mask can protect you, the amount of protection it gives depends on the layers and type of fabric the mask uses. If possible, you should get a more effective face mask, like an N95 or a surgical mask. You can also wear two masks if you do not have access to the N95 or a tight-fitting surgical mask.
But if your mask already has two layers, you can go on without double masking. These masks can stop droplets from getting through if you wear the mask properly, which seals the area around your chin and above your nose.
Minimize Socialization
You can also forego socialization for the moment until everything goes back to normal. You can limit your interaction with the people you live with. This is particularly true if someone in the house is at risk. You may end up carrying the virus into the home if you are not careful.
While total isolation from the outside world is not possible and is impractical, you should make sure to follow health protocols if you need to go out and mingle with people who are not a part of your household.
Choose to Work Remotely
If your company gives you the option to work remotely, you should grab the opportunity since it allows you to avoid mingling with other people. While your employer may have implemented measures to mitigate the risk of transmission, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
But if the employer requires you to work onsite, try to find the middle ground where you can work onsite for a couple of days a week and work at home for the rest of the week. This reduces your risk of getting infected by the virus.
Shop Online
Shopping online is also another way for you to protect yourself from the virus, particularly the new variants that appear to be more contagious. And shopping online has become easier as many businesses started offering their products through e-commerce stores.
After the majority of consumers went online to shop, these businesses followed them and spruced up their websites to allow them to sell online. If the shop you want to buy from has no online store, you can check with them if they have a delivery service or at least curbside pickup.
In case these options are not available as well, you can either look for a different store offering the same product or you can visit their brick-and-mortar store. But you should limit the time you’ll stay inside the store to reduce your exposure. Additionally, you can also ask if the store can prepare your order ahead of time so you’ll only have to enter the store to pay and pick up the product.
The end of the pandemic may already be on the horizon, but it’s still important to be on guard with the emergence of the variants of the virus.
