With restrictions a thing of the past, infection rates in East Sussex are slowly rising. For those that have had their vaccine, the spread of infection has been contained and the severity of infection reduced meaning we are seeing fewer hospital admissions among the more vulnerable members of our communities.
Nationally, for those that haven’t been vaccinated, we are seeing a greater rate of hospitalisation and more severe Covid-19 symptoms.
As we spend more time catching up with friends and family here’s a reminder of some simple things we can all do to make sure we’re only sharing selfies and song choices and not Covid-19 this summer.
Get your jab
From the data we have access to we know that Covid is currently spreading more among those who aren’t yet vaccinated or have only received one dose proving that while sadly, the Covid-19 vaccine won’t give you superpowers, it does reduce the likelihood that you will be seriously ill. If you haven’t yet had your Covid-19 jab you could get one by visiting a walk-in vaccination clinic or booking an appointment via the National booking system.
Find out more about walk-in vaccination clinics happening across East Sussex: Sussex COVID-19 Vaccination Programme | Sussex Health & Care Partnership (sussexhealthandcare.uk)
If you are half way there and awaiting your second dose, you might be able to move your second jab forward, there just needs to be an eight week gap between doses. See if you can move your jab and check availability near you: Book or manage your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
We know there is a lot of misinformation out there about the Covid vaccine. If you have concerns about the safety of the vaccine check out this article which explains how the vaccine was developed so quickly: Here’s what we know about the Covid vaccines
One particular vaccine query we have seen raised again and again is whether or not it can affect your fertility. There is no evidence to suggest that Covid-19 vaccines will affect fertility. Claims of any effect of Covid-19 vaccination on fertility are speculative and not supported by any data.
Listen to this short video by Dr. Gayatri Amirthalingam, a consultant in the National Immunisation team at Public Health England as she explains how the vaccine works and how there is no biologically plausible mechanism by which current vaccines would cause any impact on women’s fertility.
Get tested
While having the vaccine can reduce transmission and severity of Covid-19 it won’t completely stop you from getting or spreading the virus so testing is still important. Not only does it mean anyone that has the virus can protect those around them by self isolating and reducing the risk of passing it on to others. But, getting a PCR test also allows for genome tracing which provides important information in the fight against Covid. If you think you’ve got symptoms, however mild, you need to get a PCR test, do not use a lateral flow test.
On top of the usual Covid-19 symptoms (high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste) Doctors are reporting headaches and runny noses as consistent symptoms experienced by people with detected cases of the Delta variant. These symptoms are no more than a minor inconvenience for most. The risk is that you spread the infection to someone who suffers more serious symptoms.
Meeting friends and family? Take a Lateral Flow Test
For anyone without symptoms, regular symptom free testing is still really important, perhaps more so now that we are starting to socialise more and businesses and indoor venues are reopening. take it seriously. You can pick up lateral flow tests for free from most pharmacies and a number of other locations within your local community.
It’s a great idea to take one before meeting up with friends and family – that way you can be sure you won’t be sharing anything more than laughs!
