7 minute read
COVID-19
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Managing risk in the “new normal”
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As we all adjust to life with COVID-19, there are still many unanswered questions. We are moving from a time when public health measures were in place to protect the masses and keep our communities as safe as possible to a time when individuals now need to make personal choices to assess their own risk and protect their personal health.
For people living with kidney disease, there is still an increased risk for more severe consequences as a result of COVID-19 and as a result, the transition to a new normal may be different. The following Q&A has been compiled with information featured in the March 2022 Bridging the Knowledge Gap Patient Symposium, and a follow up interview with Infectious Diseases Specialist, Dr. Reena Lovinsky.
Our thanks to: Vydia Nankoosingh, Manager, Infection Prevention and Control, Scarborough Health Network; Gail Burns, Program Director, Nephrology Program Halton Healthcare and Dr Reena Lovinsky, Infectious Diseases Specialist and Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control, Scarborough Health Network for the information you’ve shared.
It seems like many people are returning to “normal,” but I’m struggling to define what my new normal will look like?
It’s normal to feel some anxiety and worry, and there is no right answer that fits everyone. People with conditions like kidney disease are more vulnerable to COVID, so it isn’t as simple to return to “normal.” It’s important for you to make decisions that are best for you and your personal situation. Talk to your family physician or care provider. They can help answer your questions and provide information, strategies and resources to help.
I’m not vaccinated, and I have been fine so far. Do I need to get vaccinated now that restrictions are lifted?
Now is an especially important time to get vaccinated. Community rates of COVID-19 are high across Canada and will likely increase as more people gather indoors, in crowded places with poor ventilation without masks. Your risk of exposure to someone with COVID-19 is quite high in the community and your best protection against COVID-19 is to get your full complement of COVID-19 vaccines including a booster dose.
Many people were anxious to get their vaccines early in the pandemic, but now we have a lot more data about vaccine safety and effectiveness. Do you know that 11 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across the world? Recent studies in both Ontario and British Columbia have shown vaccine effectiveness (how well vaccines work in the real world) to be 90 percent protective against severe disease/ hospitalization from Omicron after a booster dose.
It is normal to have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines since there is a lot of overwhelming information available. Scarborough Health Network has set up a VaxFacts Clinic to facilitate private one-on-one phone conversations with one of their COVID-19 vaccine expert physicians to have your specific concerns addressed. They can do telephone consultations in more than 200 languages and you can book an appointment online from anywhere in Canada at: https://www.shn.ca/ vaxfacts/ can wear a mask for an extra layer of protection. A medical mask has a medical-grade viral filter and provides better protection than a cloth mask. You want to ensure that your mask fits well, so a well-fitted medical mask or a KN95 or N95 are all good options.
Cleaning your hands with alcoholbased hand sanitizer is another great way to prevent infections, not just COVID-19. Always clean your hands before you eat, touch your mouth or your eyes. It is important to clean your hands before and after you touch a wound or catheter.
Continue to maintain your “bubble” and socialize with others who you know share the same philosophy about vaccinations and protection. Monitor your health daily and adhere to public health measures for testing, isolation/quarantine.
I’m immunocompromised. What can I do to stay safe? What should I avoid?
Being immunocompromised means that you may not respond as well to only two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. It is important that you get three doses of vaccine as your primary series as well as a booster shot. This is the best way to protect yourself from severe infection. We want to “shield” you as well from infection by having your household members and closest family and friends vaccinated so that they offer a second layer of protection for you. Friends and family should not visit you if they have any symptoms of COVID-19. You should avoid indoor, crowded spaces with poor ventilation and continue to wear a medical mask in public. Ideally, those who live with you should also continue to wear a medical mask in public indoor spaces as an added layer of protection.
It is important that you go for PCR testing as soon as you have symptoms of COVID-19 to help make an early, accurate diagnosis and get early treatment. Immunocompromised patients are eligible for Paxlovid if they develop COVID-19, which can help prevent severe infection if given early after symptom onset.
I am vaccinated. Is it safe to be out in public, or in crowded spaces? What can I do to protect myself?
The best layer of protection is your full complement of COVID-19 vaccines, but we know lots of other ways to stay safe. The safest activities are outdoors. Anything outside and six feet away from someone else is completely safe.
Ideally avoid crowded, indoor spaces with poor ventilation. If you need to go into an indoor space, especially a crowded space, you kidney.ca
What type of mask should I be wearing?
Using a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings is associated with lower odds of acquiring a COVID-19 infection. Wearing a respirator type mask (KN95 or N95) provides the best protection, followed by a surgical mask. It is important to wear a well-fitted mask, that fits as tightly to the face as possible. Cloth masks are not recommended for protection. Layering masks is not an effective strategy, they are meant to be worn on their own.
How will I know I have COVID? The signs and symptoms seem to change with new variants.
For most people, Omicron causes symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection like the common cold. The most common symptom with Omicron is a sore throat. Other common symptoms include headache, muscle aches, extreme fatigue, cough, runny or stuffed nose, and feeling like you have a cold. People can have a fever or shortness of breath as well. Loss of sense of smell and taste is not common with Omicron.
I want to travel. What tips can you share about travelling safely?
Be informed, check the travel advisories at https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories to gather information about the prevalence of COVID-19 in other countries. You may also choose
to look at the World Health Organization website to see where COVID is more prevalent and locations that you should be avoid because of high rates of community transmission.
When travelling, social distance as much as possible. For example, if flying, find a lounge at the airport that isn’t as busy, or choose a destination with a short flight so you won’t have to remove your mask during the flight. Follow the same strategies you use at home: wear a respirator style mask that offers the best protection, wash your hands frequently, maintain a distance between yourself and other travellers.
Do you think we will always “live with COVID”?
The more we learn about COVID-19 the more we realize we don’t know. So, it’s impossible to predict the future. I wouldn’t be surprised if COVID-19 remains present at some level in our communities forever. This is why it is important that everyone gets vaccinated, including children.
The COVID-19 vaccines do not prevent transmission of infection and do not completely eliminate the possibility of mild disease in most people, so we can assume COVID-19 will be around to some degree. The hope is that we will vaccinate enough people to get to the point where we have very few people in the population that are susceptible to severe infection and hospitalizations.
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