Following these 3 things right now can prevent COVID from getting worse, as per an expert

It won't be incorrect to say that we are in a better place than last year, considering there was no vaccination available and we had limited knowledge about the changing nature of the COVID-19. The availability of vaccines has given us hope and reduced the risk of severe infection. But every time a new strain of virus emerges, we cannot help but question the effectiveness of the vaccine. Even vaccinated people are testing positive for the infection and spreading the virus. At this time it is essential to understand that the war against the virus is far from over and any laxity in following the rules could make the situation out of control.

Virus expert Dr Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, the USA, recently addressed this concern in his press conference where he discussed some important points that can help curb the cases. Here are 3 things that we need to focus upon to stay safe.

There is a lot of misinformation available online about the effectiveness of the vaccination and its after-effects. There have been claims and myths around how vaccination can alter menstrual cycles, cause infertility issues and blood clotting, which is why many people are opting out of getting the doses. Besides, there are also reports that currently, the vaccine being administered across the globe is not that effective on the mutant virus. What we need to understand is that at this time, vaccine is the only way to reduce the risk of infection and cut down chances of long COVID. Getting vaccinated is not only important to protect yourself from the contagious virus, but also to protect others around you. There is no alternative to getting vaccinated. It is mandatory for all the people eligible for vaccination to get the shot as early as possible.

Secondly, it is crucial to understand that the pandemic is not over and there is no way we can get careless about it. To control the pandemic and another outbreak, there are four things that are absolutely a must that are vaccinations - testing, masking and better indoor ventilation. Along with vaccination, it is also crucial to identify the active cases by testing more and more people and taking proper measures to contain them. Taking these measures have become more important at this time because due to the emergence of many contagious virus-like Delta and Alpha that can cause a major outbreak in the future.

Another crucial point is to get over the concept of herd immunity. A lot of emphasis has been laid on the issue, but achieving herd immunity might not be as easy as it sounds. Immunity from the virus can only be achieved two ways- vaccination or infection. There is still a major chunk of the population that need to be vaccinated, particularly in the rural area that means the risk of the infection is greater and also the chance of fatality. To minimise the death rate it is crucial to get immunity from the vaccination than form the infection itself. It is needed to protect more and more people from losing their life.

Apart from these three things, it is also crucial for people to maintain social distancing, stay indoors as much as possible, wear a mask and follow healthy hygeine habits. Most importantly, we need to protect the kids till the vaccination is available for them.