The United States has lost more than one million lives to Covid-19, including nearly 250,000 under age 65, and the threat isn’t over. Around the country, Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise — but now that home tests are widely available, the official case counts are unreliable. Many communities, including New York City, are on high alert, but have not instituted new mask mandates. They’re leaving it up to individuals to take their own precautions.
How Can People Assess Their Risk?
In a recent New York Times article, Samuel Scarpino, the vice president of pathogen surveillance at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Pandemic Prevention Institute, recommends paying attention to whether people you know are sick. He says, “If you’re hearing your friends and your co-workers get sick, that means your risk is up and that means you probably need to be testing and masking.”
Long Covid: What Experts Know
Most people recover from Covid-19 within a couple of weeks, but others experience lingering symptoms. This is commonly known as “long Covid.” According to the American Medical Association (AMA), the primary symptoms of long COVID are fatigue and brain fog. Other symptoms include “insomnia, changes in smell and taste, shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, depression, and anxiety.”
In some patients, the symptoms of long Covid are serious enough to keep them from work and other normal activities. People who have been vaccinated are less likely to develop long Covid, but they are not completely protected from it.
Staying Vigilant Despite “Covid Fatigue”
Throughout the pandemic, we’ve all had to make personal choices about how much risk we’re willing to accept. Many Americans are eager to return to a sense of normalcy. If you’ve stopped wearing a mask in public, you may be reluctant to start again, but taking practical precautions will help you stay healthy.
Covid-19 isn’t going away anytime soon. As health advisors, our recommendations remain the same: Assess your personal risk level as you make choices about how to proceed. High quality masks make a difference, even if nobody around you is wearing one. If you’re experiencing symptoms, test yourself — and take other test if symptoms continue.
For personal guidance on the risks you face from Covid-19, reach out to an expert health advisor. A health advisor can share personalized insights and provide an outside perspective, so that you can make an informed decision without being swayed by emotions.
