1/ A short 🧵about risk. Might be helpful to recall that risk for CoV-19 is not only about vaccines & masks/respirators, but the nature & duration of exposure, underlying health status, behaviors of individuals, & characteristics of the virus.
But vaccine = most important...
But vaccine = most important...
2/ Exposure-related factors that can increase risk include close proximity to infected people (crowding), longer duration of contact, indoors vs. outdoors, poor ventilation, lower quality & fit of mask/respirator...
3/ Underlying health conditions also effect risk, especially severe immunocompromise but also other conditions, & older age... (cdc.gov/coronavirus/20…)
4/ Behaviors that can increase risk include loud talking/shouting, singing, aerobic exercise (& close/prolonged contact, as above). The more often someone does things that increase their risk, the more likely they will be infected.
5/ CoV-19 variants that are more transmissible (contagious), &/or cause more severe illness, &/or evade protection from vaccines, can also increase risk.
6/ Taking more risks increases the chances of getting CoV-19 (& severe CoV-19) PRIMARILY for UNVACCINATED people, BUT, also, to a much-lower-but-not-zero degree for the vaccinated, too.
7/ Recently, across the country, CoV-19 prevention measures have been lifted & vaccinated + unvaccinated people are doing lots of things together without taking adequate (or sometimes, any) precautions. Delta, unanticipated, increased the risk of this situation for everyone...
8/ What does all this mean?
- VACCINES REMAIN the BEST way to reduce risk (for CoV-19, including severe CoV-19) but are not 100% protection.
- Multiple strategies/LAYERS of protection REDUCE RISK for both unvaccinated & vaccinated where CoV-19 rates are rising/substantial/high.
- VACCINES REMAIN the BEST way to reduce risk (for CoV-19, including severe CoV-19) but are not 100% protection.
- Multiple strategies/LAYERS of protection REDUCE RISK for both unvaccinated & vaccinated where CoV-19 rates are rising/substantial/high.
9/ In addition to GETTING VAXXED, strategies to reduce risk include:
- a well-made, well-fitting respirator or mask
- ensuring adequate indoor ventilation/air quality
- minimizing high-risk exposures, settings, & behaviors
These are most important for unvaccinated people.
- a well-made, well-fitting respirator or mask
- ensuring adequate indoor ventilation/air quality
- minimizing high-risk exposures, settings, & behaviors
These are most important for unvaccinated people.
10/ Vaccinated people, especially if in a high-risk group for severe CoV-19, or who are a close contact of a high-risk person, should also take steps to further reduce their risk based on local CoV-19 rates, their personal situation/risk assessment/tolerance.
11/11 Layered protection = the best protection (graphic credit: @MackayIM) 
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