Coronavirus vaccinations offer a ray of hope, during a pandemic that has killed more than half a million people in America – and over 2.5 million people worldwide. COVID-19 has affected senior citizens disproportionately, particularly those living in care homes. Their increased susceptibility to the virus – and the greater statistical likelihood of dying from it – has prompted governments to prioritize them, as the vaccine is rolled out in America and other countries.
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At the time of writing, over thirty-nine million Americans have been fully vaccinated, according to statistics provided by the CDC (Centers for Disease Prevention and Control) https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations. Mainly, these are adults who live or work in care homes and healthcare staff, who were given two doses of either vaccine as quickly as possible. Once people have received their second vaccine dose, it takes a minimum of fourteen days for them to develop immunity. Late-stage trials https://www.marketwatch.com/story/modernas-covid-19-vaccine-candidate-achieves-945-efficacy-in-late-stage-trial-sparking-market-rally-2020-11-16 have shown the Moderna vaccine to have ninety-four percent efficacy, and the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to have ninety-five percent efficacy. Although the rising numbers of people receiving vaccines is good news, the pandemic is far from over – even for those who have immunity.
When the pandemic was at its peak, lots of care homes banned visits from friends and family, so elderly people missed out on social interactions. Consequently, many seniors have felt isolated during the crisis. This negative impact on their mental health is believed to facilitate the onset of dementia. For this reason, once care home residents have received vaccines, they can be visited by people who have been vaccinated. The beneficial impact of these visits outweighs the slight risk of coronavirus infection. As a precaution, masks should be worn to avoid passing on the virus asymptomatically. The return to normality depends on a speedy vaccine rollout. Health experts think that a seventy to eighty percent vaccination rate will create herd immunity. In this scenario, people who are vaccinated will stop those who are not protected from being infected.
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Recently, the CDC changed its quarantine rules for fully vaccinated people. The vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer both need two doses to offer complete protection. Now, the CDC says that after fourteen days of receiving both jabs, people who have been exposed to COVID-19 do not have to quarantine – providing they have no symptoms https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html. Currently, it is not known how easily vaccinated people can infect others with the virus. However, the justification for the new quarantine rules, according to the CDC, is that the vaccines are highly effective at stopping people from contracting symptomatic coronavirus. This is a key point because those with coronavirus symptoms are thought to be more contagious than asymptomatic people.
When it comes to meeting others in private, there are a few things that senior citizens should know. In all likelihood, smaller gatherings pose little risk to people who are fully vaccinated. However, big or medium-sized gatherings – and gatherings of people from several households who are not vaccinated – could spread SARS-CoV-2. Although the risk of illness might be low for fully vaccinated people, these people could spread the virus if they get infected. This is particularly concerning if they are meeting, or live with, unvaccinated people with a high risk of serious illness from coronavirus. Those who are fully vaccinated should avoid gatherings if they experience coronavirus symptoms, or test positive for coronavirus over the previous ten days. This applies irrespective of whether other attendees at the gathering are vaccinated.
Indoor meetings of people who are fully vaccinated are probably low risk, even if they do not practice social distancing or wear masks. For instance, if you have had both jabs, it should be safe for others who are fully vaccinated to visit your home for a meal. If you are meeting unvaccinated people indoors, who do not practice social distancing, or wear masks, you are probably safe as well — provided you are fully vaccinated.
As a general rule, the amount of precautions you take should be governed by the attributes of those who are not vaccinated against coronavirus. Unvaccinated people from single households, where no one is at risk of serious illness, can have indoor meetings with fully vaccinated people without masks. Such meetings are unlikely to spread SARS-CoV-2. For instance, grandparents who are fully vaccinated can meet their healthy unvaccinated son and his healthy children indoors, without social distancing or wearing masks – as long as the unvaccinated relatives are not at risk of serious illness. Shaking hands and hugging the grandchildren would be fine in this situation.
A different approach is needed when vaccinated people visit unvaccinated people from a household where people are at risk of serious illness. In such circumstances, every attendee should practice social distancing, wear a face mask and meet in an area with good ventilation. For instance, if a senior citizen who is fully vaccinated meets an unvaccinated relative who is at risk of serious illness, the meeting should occur outdoors. Both people should maintain a distance of six feet between each other and wear masks.
The same philosophy holds true when vaccinated people visit unvaccinated people from several households simultaneously. When people without vaccines come from several households, it is more likely that they will spread SARS-CoV-2. For this reason, everyone involved should stay six feet or more away from each other. They should also wear a face mask and meet outdoors – or in an area with good ventilation. To refer to the above example, let’s assume that the vaccinated grandparents meet their unvaccinated son and his children, and the son’s unvaccinated friends turn up as well. This meeting should be held outdoors, and the attendees should wear face masks and maintain social distancing (six feet or more). This is because two households that are unvaccinated pose a danger to each other.
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Everyone, whether they have had a vaccine or not, should observe current advice to avoid large or medium-sized gatherings. In addition, they should adhere to any relevant local rules limiting the size of meetings. When attending gatherings of any sort, people who are fully vaccinated should carry on observing preventative measures to limit transmission. This includes washing hands regularly, keeping apart from other people, and wearing a properly fitted face mask.
Many senior citizens want to know whether they can get on an airplane after being vaccinated. On average, domestic round trip flights were twenty-five percent less expensive in 2020 than the year before, based on data from the Hopper travel website https://www.marketwatch.com/story/americans-are-already-planning-summer-getaways-and-the-pace-of-the-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-will-likely-affect-airfare-prices-11610383204. However, prices are forecast to increase in 2021, when more people receive vaccinations. If you have had your two jabs, you can still take advantage of the many travel deals that are currently available. Make sure you wait fourteen days after receiving your second jab before traveling. The reason for this, as already stated, is that this is how long it takes your body to develop immunity. Have a viral test done one to three days before your trip. Also, take the paperwork showing your test results with you, in case anyone asks for it. Avoid traveling if you return a positive test, and – prior to your journey – check to see whether there are any travel restrictions.
Eating out at a restaurant is another popular pastime among seniors that they are keen to resume once they have received their jabs. Unfortunately, masks are not usually worn inside restaurants, so it is more likely that you or someone else will be exposed to airborne droplets that can spread COVID-19. Dining outdoors is much safer than dining indoors, according to health experts https://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-jersey-postponed-indoor-dining-as-new-york-makes-decision-on-wednesday-why-is-it-so-dangerous-2020-07-01, because droplets containing the virus have more space to travel. Also, it is often easier to position tables six feet apart from each other outdoors.
Fully vaccinated people should still socially distance themselves and wear face masks in public areas, like movies. theater, supermarkets, and trains/buses. In these settings, there’s a good chance that you will encounter people who are not vaccinated, who you could infect. In addition, if you don’t wear a mask in public areas, it can be stressful for other people, because they are unaware of your vaccination status.
Happily, there is some cause for optimism, because the availability of vaccines is increasing all the time. Infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, recently told NBC that coronavirus vaccinations will be rolled out on a huge scale in the near future. If everything goes to plan, more senior citizens will be allowed to meet safely and enjoy walks with friends and family in the summer. As each month passes, the number of people with immunity to the virus is growing. Once the younger members of your family have had their jabs, you can meet up with them in small groups regularly. That is a nice thought because we have missed seeing our loved ones for over twelve months now. With a bit of luck, this is the beginning of the end of coronavirus and we can reclaim our lives soon.
Boca Home Care Services is here to match seniors with screened and certified home care aides, during and after the pandemic is history. Call us at: (561) 989-0611 for information.
The post What Senior Citizens Can Do After Being Fully Vaccinated first appeared on Elder Care Home Health Blog.