Mask Up, Vax Up
By Natalia Toledo
While the holiday season has come to a close, the COVID surge has not. Cases are spiking, and due to omicron’s contagious design, the risk of contracting the virus has only increased. Like it or not, the world we live in now is our “new normal”. That is, a world where precautions must be adopted, and upheld, to protect the vulnerable. The coronavirus will not go away because we close our eyes and wish it to be. That’s just not how nature works.
There is a consensus among many experts that COVID-19 will come and go in seasons, just as we experience with the flu. That is why it is important that we learn how to manage it. So let’s emphasize the things that are working and debunk the myths around the obscurities. Say hello to the masks and the vaxes.
Masks
Masking up helps prevent the spread of COVID-19. Wearing masks helps contain the virus, controlling its transmission. This is of particular importance in schools. Data from the American Academy of Pediatrics states that in the last week, 981,488 COVID-19 cases were children, making up 21.4% of weekly reported cases. Seemingly healthy young people can still contract and spread COVID. All it takes is one party, one classroom, one gathering to cause significant harm. If you don’t want to wear a mask for yourself, then at least do it for the safety of others.
The CDC recommends that all people wear KN95 and N95 masks, as they provide the strongest filter. If KN95s or N95s are not accessible, individuals are strongly encouraged to double up on surgical masks. Albany High School is offering N95s to all students at the main office.
Vaccines
The value of the vaccine cannot be stressed enough. Receiving the vaccine can protect you from severe symptoms in the case that you contract COVID-19. However, with everything new comes uneasiness. It usually takes years to develop a vaccine, and this one was created and approved in under a year. This has been the source of a lot of controversy in California, with many parents protesting school COVID vaccine requirements. So let’s get the facts straight.
First, none of the vaccines use a live virus. In the mRNA vaccine (Pfizer and Moderna), only the mRNA of the spike protein is injected into the body, meant to trigger an immune response. In the viral vector vaccine (Johnson and Johnson), a harmless virus equipped with the genes to produce coronavirus spike proteins is injected into the body. Neither involve using live COVID-19, and both are safe. According to NPR, over 526 million doses have been distributed in the United States.
With that comes the misconception that the vaccine will change your DNA. It is another source of vaccine hesitancy, and thankfully false. In mRNA vaccines, the mRNA never reaches the nucleus, where our DNA is stored. Instead, viral proteins are safely produced, and later destroyed, in another part of the cell. In viral vector vaccines, genetic information is carried to the nucleus, but our DNA remains unchanged as the virus has no means to put its genetic information into our own.
Second, there are no severe widespread long-term side effects of receiving the vaccine. Recipients are monitored by medical professionals for a short period after the vaccine to check for any short-term side effects. Safety always comes first. According to CDC data, anywhere from less than 1% of vaccine doses result in severe allergic reactions.
Although so much remains unknown, the benefits far outweigh the risks. If you can receive the vaccine, you should. If you can’t, mask up.
Here and Now
There is a thin line between personal choice and endangering others, and the truth of the matter is that the virus does not discriminate in who it infects. Many of us know those who have chosen to do school at home for fear of their own safety. It could be for a parent working at a hospital. A grandparent with cancer. A friend struggling to breathe in the ICU. It is for them that we wear our masks. It is for them that we get our vaccines. And it is for them, that we will remember how to thrive.
In this time of great need, we must do everything we can to keep each other safe. We must learn how to push forward. Our better future is well within our grasp. We need only seize it.
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For more information about masks, check out the following CDC article: Masks.
For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, check out the following CDC article: FAQs.
