Most deaths attributable to COVID-19 today are preventable through the use of tools including vaccines, quality face masks and antiviral treatments, according to a special pathogens expert.
Syra Madad, DHSc, MSc, MCP, CHEP, senior director of the system-wide special pathogens program at New York City Health + Hospitals, discussed preventing COVID-19 transmission during a Monday LeadingAge membership call.
Madad said that society will be living with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, but implementing small things everyday — including masking, avoiding crowded spaces, staying away from close contact with people who have respiratory infections and steering clear of closed spaces with poor ventilation — can help people avoid infections from COVID-19, influenza or other respiratory illnesses.
“People often think it’s all or nothing in their approach to preventing getting sick,” she said, adding that most Americans don’t take any precautions, due to pandemic fatigue. “There is an in between.”
One respiratory etiquette strategy, she said, is to keep a high-quality mask on hand for use during high-risk activities, including travel on airplanes or public transportation, or entering crowded spaces, when viral activity is high.
Although public health messaging remains important, Madad added, simplified messages from friends and colleagues go a long way in helping people understand the importance of vaccination, especially high-risk populations who would benefit the most from getting an updated bivalent booster.
She recommended using COVID-19 champions or ambassadors trained in better communication to help with vaccine hesitancy. Vaccines, she explained, provide different types of antibody responses, so one virus variant will not render COVID-19 vaccines ineffective. Although subvariants may “chip away” at the first line response of antibodies, the vaccines still provide protection against severe outcomes, including hospitalization, severe illness and death, Madad said.
“What’s more important is your own family, friends and colleagues urging you to stay up to date if you’re at high risk,” she said.
