This is when you can organize a big rally again, says doctor

Over the past year, we have missed weddings, graduations, vacations and funerals due to the pandemic. We have canceled sporting events and organized Zoom baby showers, all with the sole aim of avoiding the crowds. And that’s exactly why the prospect of having a big gathering again is so important: When we can finally come together without fear or consequence, it will mean that COVID’s grip on our lives will loosen.

But when exactly is this going to happen?

Most of the projections were nebulous and without engagement, given the unpredictable nature of the virus and its variants. But according to a live question-and-answer session with Leana S. Wen, MD, physician and columnist for The Washington Post, the milestone may be closer than you think. With any luck – and some continued precautions –you may be able to attend events with other people safely starting this summer. Read on to learn more about Wen’s encouraging prediction and for more essential news on COVID, Dr Fauci just said that’s when life will return to ‘what it was before’.

“There’s a good chance we can get together with more by the summer if everyone is fully immunized,” Wen explained. However, she warned that this possibility depends on several factors, “including whether the vaccines provide excellent protection against emerging variants, whether vaccine verification can be performed reliably for all participants, and whether the data continues to show. that vaccines will reduce the likelihood of carrying the coronavirus. “

Even if we are able to reassemble by then, Wen notes that we may still need to wear masks depending on “the answers to these questions and the size of the gathering.” Fortunately, preliminary evidence from recent studies indicates that the vaccine actually prevents transmission, as opposed to eliminating symptoms. If proven, it would turn things around dramatically in favor of a return to normal in the near future, making IRL events possible again with a fraction of the risk they presently present.

This wasn’t the only good news Wen had in store, however. Read on to find out what Wen says you can expect after receiving your vaccine, and for more pandemic predictions, Dr Fauci just said when he’ll be safe again to dine inside like d habit.

The side effects of the COVID vaccine may mirror some side effects of COVID-19 itself, leading to rumors that the vaccine may actually infect you with the virus.

However, Wen dispelled this misconception, reassuring readers that they can not be infected with one of the approved vaccines. “The COVID-19 vaccines that are licensed (and others that are being tested in the United States) do not contain live virus. The side effects come from the development of an immune response by the body to the case. where you would encounter coronavirus in the future. They are normal and expected and shouldn’t worry others around them, “she said. And for the latest COVID news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

A reader wrote to ask whether or not allergies should deter someone from getting a COVID shot. “What advice would you give people like me who have multiple medications and food allergies about the COVID vaccine?” they wrote.

Wen sympathized, saying, “I also have medications and food allergies, like millions of Americans do,” but urged the reader to get the vaccine anyway. “Unless you are allergic to a specific component of the vaccine you are taking, you should still get the vaccine. You will be observed for 30 minutes after the vaccine (instead of 15 minutes like others),” she said. . And for more information on the COVID vaccine, Dr Fauci says doing this after being vaccinated is a huge mistake.

Being immunocompromised during the COVID pandemic is a double-edged sword, says Wen: the condition may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine, but do not getting the vaccine puts people with weakened immune systems at considerable risk.

“It is possible that vaccines are less durable in people with weakened immune systems. It is also possible that those who take immunosuppressive drugs become less robust,” she explained. “What we know for sure is that these [who are immunocompromised] are more likely to become seriously ill from the coronavirus. That’s why those who are immunocompromised should see an even greater imperative to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible, ”Wen added.

Another reader asked Wen, “Why is there little or no mention of the treatment of COVID-19 in the mainstream media?”

“There is no cure for COVID-19,” Wen replied. She explained that currently available treatments, such as dexamethasone, remdesivir and monoclonal antibody treatments, can prevent severe symptoms and reduce mortality. “We need to focus on getting better treatments, because we also recognize that the key is to avoid getting the coronavirus in the first place, and that’s what the vaccine does. (That’s also what the masking, physical distance, avoiding indoor gatherings, etc. public health measures do too.) “And for more essential information on vaccines, see You should never do this after receiving the vaccine COVID, officials say.