A flurry of new questions from community members to public health agencies has prompted an updated list of frequently asked questions.
Question: Is it possible to get the flu or RSV and COVID at the same time?
Answer: Yes, and it is also possible to get one right after the other. Stay home if you have symptoms and get tested for COVID. Regardless of which respiratory illness you have, no one else wants it.
Question: What is the benefit of getting tested?
Answer: One of the benefits of testing is that there may be a treatment that is appropriate for you. Call your local public health agency if you have questions about testing or about your results.
Question: Someone I know has COVID but I have already been exposed. Why should I stay away from this person?
Answer: Longer exposures increase the risk of getting COVID.
Question: Will a vaccine booster keep me from getting COVID?
Answer: The vaccine is not a guarantee against getting COVID. We all know vaccinated people who have also become sick with COVID, some more than once. Still, based on the most current data, a person who has been vaccinated and received one booster is 2.5 times less likely to get COVID, 3.7 times less likely to be hospitalized, and 4.4 times less likely to die from COVID than someone who is unvaccinated.
Question: I had my first two shots and then I also got sick with COVID. Should I still get a booster?
Answer: Yes, especially if you are over age 50. In this age group, the recent Colorado data on COVID deaths per 100,000 people shows 17.4 in the group vaccinated with 2 boosters, 44.3 for those who had their first 2 doses but no boosters, and 131.6 for those who had no vaccine. Over half of the COVID deaths in the San Luis Valley have been of people between the ages of 50 and 79.
Question: Isn’t getting COVID just like getting a cold now?
Answer: For some people, it may feel similar. The pace of serious illness has slowed considerably since this time last year. However, people are still being hospitalized. The last time the San Luis Valley went an entire week with no COVID related hospitalizations was over 6 months ago.
The best protection from vaccines comes from staying up-to-date with recommended boosters. Vaccinations and boosters for COVID-19 are available on the vaccine bus from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. unless otherwise noted at the following locations:
- Wednesday, Nov. 30, at Alamosa Public Library in Alamosa
- Thursday, Dec. 1, at Blanca/Fort Garland Community Center in Fort Garland
- Friday, Dec. 2, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. at Ski Hi Complex in Monte Vista
- Saturday, Dec. 3, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Alamosa Family Rec Center
- Sunday, Dec. 4, at Family Dollar in La Jara
- Tuesday Dec. 6, at SLV Boys and Girls Club in Alamosa
- Wednesday, Dec. 7, at Centennial High School in San Luis
- Thursday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Crestone Mercantile