Follow the doctor’s advice and avoid getting seriously sick.
Eat This, Not That! By Dr. Soumi Eachempati June 21, 2022 Approximately 30 months into the global pandemic, people in many areas have been trying to regain a full sense of normalcy. Starting this summer, a variety of events that were postponed or canceled in previous years such as graduations, proms, conventions, and work retreats are now being scheduled with large numbers of attendees. Since COVID-19 rates are still high in many areas and vaccine protection can be lacking, participants going to these events may need to take some precautions. Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss Already Had COVID? These Symptoms May "Never Go Away". 1 - Plan the Event properly If you are planning any type of event, understand the audience and the event. You may have to encourage or potentially require testing or vaccinations based on the risk of the participants, the likelihood of exposure, and the community prevalence. 2 - Monitor Your Own Symptoms If you feel sick, stay home. Consider taking a test before you go out but you are better staying home as many tests have been reported to give false negatives, especially in those who have been vaccinated. 3 - Keep Your Boosters and Vaccines Up to Date Vaccination and booster rates are below 70% and 40% respectively for the entire United States. Those over 50 or with comorbidities are recommended to receive a booster every 4 months or more. Keeping high antibody titers may decrease the likelihood or intensity of a bout of COVID. 4 - Don't Get Caught in the Thick of It -Events tend to have different areas of congregation. Stay peripheral when possible and try not to be surrounded by people. Be outside if the event has that access and weather permits. Stay distanced whenever possible. Do not be afraid to mask if you are feeling uncomfortable with your surroundings and your departure is not immediate. 5 - Pick and Choose Your Events and Your Conversations Now is not the time to go to every event and talk to every person at an event. This will be a challenge because many people have not seen each other for a long time. Pick and choose your attendance and conversations wisely. Stay in familiar surroundings and don't overstay your safe time. The longer an event goes, the more likely that people will not use adequate precautions. And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID. Dr. Soumi Eachempati is a former Professor of Surgery and Public Health at Weill Cornell Medical College and a Co-Founder and CEO of Cleared4Work.