The coronavirus pandemic is a never seen before phenomenon. The human race has seen a number of different epidemic outbreaks. None of them has been spread to each and every part of the world as it has in this coronavirus outbreak. Due to this outbreak, the world economy has suffered a lot. Millions of people around the world have lost their jobs and livelihoods.
The usage of personal protection equipment has become a necessity for everyone as a result of the pandemic. Since the pandemic began, the consumption of ppes like facemasks, gloves. Protective coveralls. Protective gowns etc. have seen a historic increase. This has led to upscaling of the surgical suits manufacturers industry so that the high demand can be met.
The SOPs that have been recommended by the WHO and health departments of different countries have become common knowledge now. The whole world had been on an anxious watch for the launch of a coronavirus vaccine. It is also common knowledge that once you have got the necessary immunity then you don’t need any sort of protection, then why is it required to follow SOPs even after getting vaccinated?
Let’s dive into this article to explore further the necessity of wearing masks and following SOPs after taking the vaccine shot.
You Can Still Be a Threat to Others
When you get the covid vaccine or any other vaccine, what it essentially does is that it introduces your body to a small amount of the inactivated or dead viral particles or a portion of the virus’s RNA. The amount of the viral matter is not enough to make you sick, neither can the virus replicate. But it is enough for our body to trigger an immune response.
Our bodies are a magnificent creation of the Almighty that has a memory system in our genes. Once a type of virus or any pathogen has been destroyed by our body, it remembers how it did that. Our lymph system stores memory of the virus and whenever it encounters the pathogen again, our body knows just what to do to destroy the invader, without making us sick.
This makes us safe from the pathogen, but others around us are not necessarily safe. Although our bodies will know how to fight off the infection without making us considerably sick, it does not happen in an instant. It might take even a few days for our body to completely fight off the infection, during which time we won’t feel sick.
Since this happens without our knowledge therefore, other people who haven’t been vaccinated yet, may be at risk because we may still be contagious for them. This can put them at an elevated danger. Therefore, it is one of the reasons that we need to still follow SOPs even after we have been vaccinated. The only way we can defeat this virus is through our united efforts.
We need to take care of others around us. If we have received the vaccine dose then we are among the lucky ones. A majority of the world’s population is still waiting for the vaccine. So, till the time they have access to the vaccine, we need to ensure their protection also. This can be done by continuing to wear masks and follow other SOPs till everyone has been vaccinated.
Some Variants Are More Dangerous
There is a feature in viruses that makes them more dangerous and which makes it more difficult to get rid of them permanently. This feature is the mutations in the viruses which cause the emergence of new variants. To date many different mutations of the virus have been recorded and new variants have been identified in the UK, India, South Africa, Brazil and now Vietnam.
All of these variants have proved to be more contagious. Some of them have shown the unique ability to bypass the protection which has been made by the vaccine. This makes them more dangerous and puts you at risk of infection. To avoid this, it is imperative that the use of masks be continued even after vaccination.
The use of masks and other forms is an option that has no other drawback. Offers us protection and is easy to use. Keeps us and others around us safe. It gives us the assurance and peace of being in a safe environment. It is so truly said that “prevention is better than cure” therefore the responsible and sensible thing to do is to continue the use of masks and other people.
When Can We Be Free of Wearing Masks
The world is racing to get the population vaccinated and achieve herd immunity as soon as possible. The emergence of new variants is a factor that is likely to hinder the complete easing of restrictions. As the world awaits to go back to normal without having the fear of getting infected, it seems that there is still some time left to be completely carefree and go outside.
The recent claims of a Nobel Laureate about vaccines have also caused a huge number of people to totally abstain from getting a vaccine. This has led to fears of people getting the jab. Although different scientists and experts from all around the world have discarded his claims, it has become more difficult to convince people that the benefit of the vaccine far outweighs any risks.
Experts around the world are trying hard to manufacture a universal vaccine. But till the time we get it, it is necessary to get ourselves inoculated with the existing vaccines. Booster jabs may be necessary, but we should remember that any side effects are insignificant as compared to the benefits.
We would only be able to go out and roam freely if everyone gets the vaccine. Everyone has been affected by the pandemic in one way or the other. We all are in this together, and we can only get through this together. Only if we all adhere to the strict SOPs and get vaccinated, will we be able to fully go back to normal.
