It is important to wear a mask and maintain good hygiene, even after getting vaccinated, to control the spread of the virus. By Sakshi Sharma
Social distancing: Check
Alcohol-based hand sanitisers: Check
Mask: Check
Life, since the time the pandemic hit us, has revolved around these basics. With the COVID-19 vaccine rolling-out, can people finally hope to get rid of these mandatory norms once they get vaccinated? Or rather, is it essential to wear a mask even after getting vaccinated?
Well, getting the vaccine is definitely a major step in the right direction but it doesn’t mean the pandemic is over. Wearing a mask and maintaining good hygiene continues to be important for several reasons.
Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, Senior Consultant Internal Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals says, “While people who have got vaccinated are now immune to the COVID-19 virus but they can still possibly spread it. For instance, if a vaccinated person is exposed to the virus, it won’t impact him but he is still carrying that virus which can be easily transferred to others (non-vaccinated people) around him, through sneezing, coughing and non-sanitised hands.” Hence, a vaccinated person is immune to the virus but he can still be a carrier and a cause of further spread.
Therefore, adhering to all the necessary precautions that we have been following for the past 10 months remain important. “This will have to continue for a long time unless everybody develops herd immunity against the virus or it gets eradicated, which right now is a farfetched goal,” adds Chatterjee.
Dr. Vikas Maurya, Director and Head of Department, Pulmonology, Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh, agrees to it and adds that we need to know more about how the shot works in the long term.
Another important aspect that we need to pay heed to is that no vaccine will be effective right after it is taken. Kapil Bhatia, CEO, UniMask says, “It takes at least two weeks for the immune system to make the antibodies that block viral infections. These vaccines will take a little longer than other inoculations because it requires two doses and one has to wait for three to four weeks to get the second shot of the vaccine.” In simpler terms, full protection against COVID-19 infection won’t arrive until five or six weeks after the first shot of the vaccine.
“In most respiratory infections, including the Coronavirus, the nose is the main entry port. The virus rapidly multiplies majorly there, jolting the immune system to produce a type of antibodies that are specific to the mucosa, the moist tissue lining the nose, mouth, lungs, and stomach. If the same person is exposed to the virus again, those antibodies, as well as immune cells that remember the virus, rapidly shut down the virus in the nose itself before it travels to take hold somewhere else in the body. Some of those antibodies will circulate to the nasal mucosa and stand guard there, but it’s not clear how much of the antibody pool can be mobilised or how quickly. It is possible that the viruses could bloom in the nose only — and be sneezed or breathed out to infect others,” adds Bhatia.
Not to forget that, as the vaccine rollout begins with plans to vaccinate as many people as possible, the fact of the matter is that not enough doses to vaccinate all populations exist till now. It’s going to take months or longer for a fair amount of people to be vaccinated. Hence, it is vital to not only wear masks but also ensure that you are wearing the right one. Dr Chatterjee says, “Both N-95 and surgical three layered masks are recommended to protect people against the virus. But ideally, N95 masks are for people dealing with COVID positive patients or conducting procedures on the patients, such as frontline workers — healthcare professionals, hospital staff etc. Otherwise, one can use a surgical three-ply mask. Additionally, while using N-95 masks, it is important to ensure that those masks shouldn’t have a valve. In case an asymptomatic patient of COVID 19 wears an N-95 mask with a valve, that increases risk of him transmitting the infection to people around him.”
Now that wearing a mask is a part of our everyday routine, it sometimes becomes an uncomfortable experience leading to sore ears and fogged glasses. To avoid this and further spread of the virus, it is important to wear it correctly. Dr Chatterjee lists some ways: It should fit you properly and cover your nose, mouth and chin. It should neither be very tight nor too loose. Ensure that the fabric masks are washed with soap every time they are worn and discarded in closed bins.
“One can also go for N95 respirator as it is made of a special material that removes 95 percent of the droplet that we emit while coughing, sneezing or talking,” suggests Dr Puneet Khanna, HOD and Consultant — Respiratory Medicine, HCMCT Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka.