As much as everyone would like the pandemic to be over, the unfortunate reality is that there are still high numbers of COVID-19 cases in many countries around the world. Whilst the rate of severe infections, hospitalizations and fatalities from COVID-19 remain low in those that have been fully vaccinated, each infection can result in the persistent symptoms of Long Covid, with repeat infections being increasingly likely to case Long Covid. As the virus continues to evolve, we need to ensure that we continue to stay safe. Our recommendations on how to stay safe in the middle of the current JN.1 wave are the same as for previous variants. The virus still spreads through the air and we still recommend layering precautions when local infection rates are high.
- Ensure that you’re fully vaccinated and boosted, when possible.
- Wear a well-fitting N95/KN95 (FFP2/3) mask when out amongst others, especially in crowded indoor environments and when local infection rates are high.
- Avoid crowded indoor spaces, especially those with poor ventilation. If you are responsible for an indoor environment, try to enhance ventilation and use HEPA filters when needed.
- Wash your hands when out of the house before touching your face or eating, to avoid any chance of surface transmission of the virus.
- If you’ve been exposed to someone that has COVID-19 ensure that you use test (either PCR or a rapid antigen test, which still work well). It’s best to test twice, at 1-2 days post exposure and again at 3-5 days post exposure. It is not necessary to isolate unless you test positive or have symptoms. Remember that testing positive on a rapid test usually means that you’re contagious.
- If you have symptoms (or test positive even if you don’t have symptoms), it’s important to isolate until you recover. Ensure that you keep isolating while you have symptoms and once you have recovered, ensure that you are no longer contagious by testing twice 24 hours apart. Once both tests are negative, it’s safe to end the isolation. We realize this is more stringent than what is recommended by many governments, but this is based on the latest data and is focused on avoiding any further transmission of the virus.
These are the same simple measures that we have been recommending for most of the pandemic. They have been proven to be highly effective at reducing virus transmission and helping to keep people and communities safe.
