Why isn’t everybody taking the precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones against the deadly COVID? This terrible virus stopped us from going to school for a year and a half, and that’s when the pandemic was the worst, and we didn’t know how to battle it. But now we do. Get your vaccine, wear a mask, wash your hands, and protect yourself and your neighbors, so the virus does not keep spreading.
Life was unhygienic before COVID. We were not washing our hands before and after doing tasks. A new CDC report finds that 25% of people don’t remember to wash their hands at important times, such as after blowing their nose. Imagine eating with all those germs on your hands. That’s how COVID was spread.
Omicron is a new variant that has also emerged with the delta variant. This is very serious since the more virus lingers around, the more it can mutate. So we need to be taking care of ourselves. We need to wear a mask and social distance as much as possible. A study of an outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, an environment notable for congregate living quarters and close working environments, found that using face coverings on-board was associated with a 70% reduced risk.
Trusting the vaccine is hard. One of the biggest arguments I have heard is to not trust the vaccine because it was created too fast, but we need to protect ourselves and others. COVID-19 vaccines are effective and can reduce the risk of getting and spreading the virus. Over 12 billion doses have been safely administered worldwide. Boosters are also now available to most age groups.
Staying home is also crucial, especially if you are under the weather. If you are exposed to the virus, get tested since even if you are asymptomatic, you can spread the virus. We already went through quarantine, and I know many people did not like it, but cases are picking up, and we need to think about our community. There are people whose immune systems cannot handle the virus. Some people may be asymptomatic, but that doesn’t mean you can still spread the virus.
We have to stay COVID-free, especially from its new strains. Who knows what those new strains could do to us. COVID was already impactful enough that it humbled and matured us–showing that we are not invincible. We must get vaccinated, wear our masks, wash our hands, and practice social distancing to stay safe.
- United States