As we prepare for a second pandemic holiday season, with informed planning and precautions, we can still celebrate and connect with friends and loved ones.
As with everything else in life, we have to accept the reality of the present – including all of the known facts, and recognize our choices. Those choices will determine how safe and happy our New Year will be.
The Omicron variant is overtaking the Delta among new COVID-19 infections across the globe. Part of the reason is its shorter incubation time (the time from exposure to the onset of symptoms).
With the Omicron variant, you can start showing symptoms within four days.
This new variant can also evade some of the protection provided by full vaccination.
Its initial symptoms are almost identical to a common cold or the flu. We don’t yet know for sure if the Omicron variant will cause severe illness requiring hospitalization.
A lot of us are disappointed that we cannot have the big holiday dinners and parties we envisioned, but we are in a better position than we were one year ago when weren’t allowed to gather with anyone outside of our household.
Last Christmas, we dropped off Christmas dinner and presents at my dad’s front door, returning home to open presents together virtually by Zoom.
This year, provincial health orders allow a household to have one other family or 10 other people to share a meal together at home.
Here are seven steps you can take to keep yourself and your loved ones as safe as possible:
1. If you aren’t fully vaccinated, do it now.
The vaccinated are much less likely to get a serious infection and require hospitalization.
2. Get a booster shot if your last vaccination was over six months ago.
Our immunity to all strains of COVID-19 wanes sometime between six and eight months.
We all have to be registered on BC’s COVID-19 website in order to receive the invitation to book our boosters.
3. Keep wearing face masks if you are around others indoors. (This includes stores and other businesses, churches and temples, restaurants, movie theatres and homes where others outside of the household are invited.)
4. Continue to sanitize your hands after touching potentially contaminated items and surfaces – before you touch your face.
5. Consider a better quality mask.
The stocking stuffer that shows you care is an N95 mask.
A year ago, we thought COVID-19 was mainly spread through respiratory droplets; hence the two-metre social distancing rule and the wearing of at least cloth masks.
We now know that COVID-19 virus is aerosolized and can linger in the air of a room for a period of time (perhaps up to 15 minutes) depending on room ventilation.
Medical surgical masks offer better protection than cloth. They are also more comfortable to wear.
N95 masks offer a much higher level of filtration and are more available and less expensive than a year ago.
Do not wear masks with valves. The valve is one way and spreads your germs around the room as easily as if you were unmasked. Wearing a valved mask sends the message that you care about yourself but no one else in the room.
6. If you feel unwell or feel a cold coming on, stay away from others and get tested. The Omicron variant can present with more subtle symptoms and you can pass it to others who may become seriously ill. Don’t take that chance with your friends and family.
7. Before you gather this holiday season, review these steps with everyone involved.
Wishing you all healthy holidays and a happier New Year.
Dr. Davidicus Wong is a family physician. His Healthwise Column appears regularly in this paper. For more on achieving your positive potential in health, read his blog at davidicuswong.wordpress.com.
