COVID again

Both my daughter and grandson were recently diagnosed with COVID-19.

Fortunately, they were fully vaccinated. They didn't need to be hospitalized.

If you get the latest COVID vaccines, you might be sore or uncomfortable for a while. However, if you are vaccinated it is very unlikely you will become hospitalized, and most have no symptoms.

A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that the latest COVID-19 vaccines are approximately 54% effective at preventing symptomatic infection in adults. And your chance of needing hospitalization becomes very small.

I knew several foreigners here who didn't get their COVID vaccines. Some got sick, two died. Some made it through the pandemic with no problems.

It is all statistics and percentage. If you understand a little math and a little science, you will bet for safety. Wearing masks if you have a cough, for whatever reason, protects those around you. It helps to wash your hands and not share food. Just take every precaution you can to protect your neighbors, friends, and family from the multitude of germs and viruses we live with.

No vaccine is 100% effective, but many vaccines are highly effective at preventing illness. For example, some vaccines for diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, and polio are known to be very effective, often providing 95% or higher protection against the targeted disease. The effectiveness can also vary from person to person based on factors like age, overall health, and the specific strain of the virus or bacteria.

Germs and viruses have been on the planet for well over three billion years. Our immune systems are strong, however with eight billion people and international travel we can expect a pandemic again.

We certainly don't need people who say things like, "It's not real, it's the corruption of all the governments in the world trying to control us. The lizard people and the deep state are...."

We need people who are responsible, and not fall for misinformation from the internet. We need people to listen to our medical agencies and do the right things.

Be informed, be safe.

Richard Baker

Dumaguete City