It’s been four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in that time, the virus has gone from being a terrifying, unknown foe to a complex yet familiar adversary.
Much of this is due to scientific advances that keep us safe: the millions of vaccines, antiviral treatments, and masks administered and used have left fewer people experiencing severe cases than in earlier years. Getting vaccinated and boosted has shielded tens of thousands from the worst.
As we enter another year of living with COVID-19, gaining clarity on personal risk and the risks of loved ones will allow you to craft an approach that you can sustain long-term while reducing illness.
We created this quiz to help you understand your risk level so you can make better-informed choices about health and safety this year.
COVID-19 presents a higher risk for Americans over 50 years old or immunocompromised, like pregnant people and cancer patients, but it also presents a danger to folks who are less obviously impacted, such as people taking some steroids for other health conditions.
“You don’t have to have had a heart attack recently [to be vulnerable to COVID-19],” said Ajay Sethi, a professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. “You can just be older…I would say starting at 50, it’s a good time to just ask yourself, ‘What are my personal risks?’”
No matter your age, understanding your personal risk for COVID-19 should start with a visit or call to your doctor. If you’re on any medications, Sethi says to bring a complete list of your medications and health conditions, and ask whether any of them are important to keep in mind for future treatment.
A one-size-fits-all approach to managing COVID-19 risk does not work, said Dr. Ayman El-Mohandes, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, and dean of the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health. It’s important to have a customized plan based on an honest evaluation of one’s own risk profile, family makeup, and behaviors over time.
“Be especially mindful if you have people around you [who] have a weak immune response or have chronic lung disease or are elderly…increase your risk aversion for their sake,” he said. Whether it’s your partner or friend, “We obviously also don’t want to expose them, they are dear to us,” he added. “We have mutual accountability.”
The approach that everyone should take should be tailor-made for our health and lifestyles, and El-Mohandes said to make sure our plans keep in mind the most vulnerable people in our families or inner circles. He also encourages paying attention to the traits of current variants (are they more transmissible, or do they develop worse symptoms?), the type of environment and circumstances and encouraging loved ones to have tailored plans as well.
Sethi said that the rate of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations right now are unacceptably high. Of the “big three” viruses of winter season, which include flu and RSV, COVID-19 leads with the most deaths and hospitalizations, with an average of 3 New Yorkers dying and 49 getting hospitalized every day. Yet vaccination rates for COVID-19 have been fairly lower: Only 42% of Americans over 65+ have reported getting the COVID-19 shot, compared to 73% getting their flu shot.
It’s important, as the year rolls on, to keep up with the most updated shots. The COVID-19 variants are dynamic and changing, too.
—For more information about New York City COVID-19 sources, check out our page: amsterdamnews.com/covid.