At a time when millions of people are testing positive for COVID-19, questions arise, how long should I wait to get vaccinated? Is it necessary to do it if I already got infected? Here we clarify it for you.
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The cases of COVID-19 are advancing gallopingly due to the dominance of the omicron variant, which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) covers 72% of the cases in the world.
This variant is 70 times more contagious than the others of concern, such as Delta or Gamma. For this reason, more and more people close to them test positive for the virus, which generates symptoms such as cough, muscle pain and sore throat, as well as long queues to be discarded.
WHEN SHOULD I GET VACCINATED IF I HAD COVID-19?
The waiting time for vaccination depends on how the virus affected you, according to the National Institute of Health (INS):
mild cases
If the COVID-19 infection has been mild and the symptoms you presented have not been worrisome, the waiting time is 15 days. To be inoculated you must not have any symptoms.
severe cases
If you have had an aggressive infection that required hospitalization or an ICU bed, the waiting time is 90 days. There is scientific evidence that people gain better protection by receiving the vaccine.
IF I ALREADY GOT COVID, DO I HAVE IMMUNITY?
Yes, having had a COVID-19 infection provides some level of protection, but getting the vaccine will give you even more protection and for a longer period of time, says Dr. David Goldberg, an infectious disease specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian. Westchester Medical Group. “On the other hand, there is evidence that receiving the vaccine can help you be protected against variants of COVID-19,” he said in statements to Health Matters.
IS IT IMPORTANT THAT I GET VACCINATED IF I ALREADY HAD COVID-19?
Yes. Dr. David Goldberg, an internist and infectious disease specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group Westchester, said “it’s important to get vaccinated if you’ve had COVID-19 and get it at the right time so it’s as effective as possible.” He stressed that doing so, in addition to protecting yourself, will protect family, friends, and help keep you on track to end this pandemic.
WHAT PREVENTIVE MEASURES SHOULD I TAKE TO AVOID GETTING COVID-19?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most effective measures that everyone can take to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 is to keep a distance of at least one meter from other people, wear a well-fitting mask, open windows to ventilate rooms, avoid crowded or poorly ventilated places, keep hands clean, cough and sneeze into the bend of the elbow or into a disposable handkerchief, and get vaccinated when their turn comes .
