Taking precautions against the new coronavirus has become an everyday fact since the beginning of the pandemic. But with the discovery of a new highly contagious mutant variant of the UK virus, medical experts are warning that increased transmissibility is likely to lead to a peak in cases beyond an already dire national outbreak. Fortunately, there are still ways to protect yourself and others from the new COVID strain that is spreading across the United States – and much of what experts recommend is family advice. Read on to see what steps will keep you safe and to learn more about what else you can do to reduce your risk, check if you’re not doing it, your mask won’t protect you, study says.
With the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicting that the UK variant is likely to become the dominant strain in the United States in March, many experts initially feared that the strain – which is at least 50% more contagious. – it could be difficult to contain. But, although the virus may have changed a little, the best course of action to avoid contracting it is to continue following the same basic health care that has been recommended since day one, such as wearing a face mask, avoiding crowds, regular washing and avoid staying at home with people you don’t live with.
Instead of a new routine, experts recommend simply being diligent in what we already know works. “I think there is no room for error or neglect to follow precautions, whereas before, we might have been able to slip up,” Linsey Marr, PhD, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech and a leading aerosol scientist, said The New York Times.
Even if a global pandemic is spreading around us, there is still a need to rush to the supermarket to buy essential supplies. But with a highly contagious strain becoming the norm, going to the supermarket has become more risky than ever.
Fortunately, there is no reason to go hungry: experts simply recommend reducing the time to limit your exposure. “Shopping for five minutes at the supermarket is much better – six times better – than shopping for 30 minutes,” Tom Frieden, MD, former director of the CDC, told Vox. “Picking up groceries on the sidewalk is even better, and delivering is even better.” And for more information on what your symptoms may be telling you, check out This is the “strongest and most consistent” signal that you have COVID, says the study.
There is no denying that wearing a mask will help protect you and others from the new coronavirus. But many cloth masks, which should be used as a palliative during the early days of the pandemic, fall short of the protection you may need to stay safe in the midst of a new highly contagious strain, reports Vox.
Experts say N95 masks provide the best protection, but with short supplies available, there are still other options. A study conducted by Marr’s lab at Virginia Tech in November looked at masks made of 11 different materials and found that fabric masks made of three layers, including a filter layer, could filter up to 90 percent of the particles, bringing them closer to 95 % provided by N95, reports the New York Times. Otherwise, folding the cloth masks may be a safer option if tightened.
Despite the contagious new strain, medical experts still claim that the effective vaccines being launched are the most likely way to finally contain the pandemic once and for all. A recent CDC report stated that, due to the new nature of the virus, more people now need to be inoculated for it to be truly effective.
“Increased transmissibility also means that greater-than-expected vaccination coverage must be achieved to achieve the same level of disease control to protect the public as compared to less communicable variants,” said the CDC report. And for more information on what you should know before you get your injection, check with the FDA that just decided that you can’t do these 4 things with the COVID vaccines.