The COVID-19 vaccine is finally here and in many of the countries, including India the vaccination roll-out is underway. But wait, the coronavirus pandemic is way from being over. Health experts are warning people to stick to the COVID guidelines to stop the spread of the virus, even if you are vaccinated.
Health officials say that even after you get vaccinated against COVID-19, you still need to practice the usual pandemic precautions, at least for a while. That means avoiding crowds, continuing to wear mask in public, maintaining distance from people and frequently washing hands.
Experts say that being vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus does not mean we do not wear masks or do not follow the COVID guidelines. Washing hands, wearing masks and social distancing will still remain the key for safety. In the short run, it will take some time for the vaccine's effectiveness to build up.
Why handwashing is still important?
- During the COVID times one important thing that was noticed that washing hands is an effective tool to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
- Washing our hands with soap remains one of the best defenses against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
- Washing hands also helps in avoiding the spread of other infections.
According to experts we should wash our hands when touching objects like door knob and handle, lift buttons, car steering, staircase railings, metro, public transport, vegetables, packages from outside and such other things. Doctors say that we should definately wash our hands if we blow our nose or after sneezing in our hands.
How you can spread virus if you've been vaccinated?
All the COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine candidates under consideration for use in the US rely on bits of genetic material or virus protein - not anything that could grow into an active SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19.
The concern instead with the COVID-19 vaccine, the experts think is whether you might still have an asymptomatic infection despite immunization - without symptoms, but able to shed virus.
Let's say you've been vaccinated and you encounter SARS-CoV-2. You're much less likely to develop symptoms that's clear. But your immune system may not fight off the virus completely. It might allow some viruses to survive and reproduce and get expelled from your nose or mouth in a breath, cough or sneeze.
