Stef Controls Infections

Another holiday season is upon us and doesn't look like COVID-19 is going away any time soon 🎄😥 With the rise of Omicron, we need to celebrate the holidays safely so everyone can stay alive to celebrate the next holidays ❤️ COVID-19 can spread at your gathering, even if everyone's fully vaccinated (COVID-19 vaccines protect against severe illness, but it's still possible to be infected and spread the virus to others).

Below are some tips to keep in mind for holiday gatherings - a layered approach is best:

• consider virtual celebrations 🖥️📱
• choose lower-risk activities when gathering with people outside your immediate household, i.e. outdoor gatherings or in a well-ventilated indoor space (windows open) 🪟💨
• keep attendance list small 📝
• refrain from attending if you are feeling ill 🤧
• get rapid tested for COVID-19 immediately prior to the gathering (use with caution though!) 👃
• keep a distance of 2 meters from other guests if not wearing masks, i.e. when eating or drinking 👤↔️2️⃣↔️👤
• wear a mask as much as possible, particularly when singing or shouting 😷
• regularly perform hand hygiene 🤲🧼
• use more caution if you're at risk of more severe disease or outcomes from COVID-19, i.e. elderly individuals, people with immunocompromising conditions, people with chronic medical conditions, etc. 🏥
• try to limit your use of substances so you can make safer decisions and are better able to follow public health measures 🥂
• get vaccinated! Get your first or second dose of the vaccine if you haven't already, or your booster dose if eligible 💉🩹

How are you planning on celebrating? Wishing everyone a safe and happy holidays! ❤️🎁🎉🎄

Sources:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/prevention-risks/private-indoor-gatherings.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/celebrations.html

https://www.ontario.ca/page/celebrate-safely-during-covid-19

A brief summary of the COVID-19 variants of concern in terms of their origins 🌎, transmissibility patterns 🦠, disease severity 😵, re-infection 🔁, diagnostic testing 🔬 and COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness 💉. Information may have changed since the research was gathered by Public Health Ontario, however their interim guidance document was just published on February 10 📅.

HOW DO WE PROTECT OURSELVES AGAINST THESE VARIANTS?! 😱😵😱😵
There is no evidence to suggest that these variants are spread in different ways compared to the non-variant strain. Therefore, it makes it so much more important to follow the existing public health recommendations including:
• Physical distancing 🧍 ↔️ 🧍
• Wearing a 2- or 3-layered mask appropriately (no masks under noses or chins, people! 🤦🏻‍♀️)
• Hand hygiene 👐🧼
• Staying home if experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms (except to go get tested) 🤒
• Postponing social gatherings, non-essential travel, etc.
• Getting the vaccine if available 💉

I know everyone is tired of this pandemic, but this will end eventually! Let's do our part and stop the spread of COVID-19 👊

Source:
https://t.co/NMhekjgs6W @ Toronto, Ontario

Side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine may include: pure joy, giddiness, happiness, elation, excitement, relief ♥️

So thankful to have been able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine today and be one step closer to kicking this pandemic's ass once and for all 💪

Proud to be on the right side of history 🙌

Who's gotten their COVID-19 vaccines? Who's excited to get it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Canada, you can be really pretty sometimes 😍 but you also really hurt my face 🥶