Many people have been caught up in the fear seemingly deliberately generated by governments and media. When we are stuck in 'fight or flight' mode because we are frightened it can be very difficult to think clearly about the issues.
Government representatives have perpetuated misinformation and terror when they appear in the media telling people that the virus WILL kill them or that they would never want to be near an unvaccinated person.
Many have come to equate unvaccinated with infected and fearfully endorse discrimination and segregation without fully thinking it through.
While any person can become infected with Covid, individual risk definitely matters. There is substantial evidence of very specific risk factors from age to underlying conditions that make a difference to whether you may experience the virus as a mild cold or end up in hospital.
Older age is the biggest risk factor with the number of deaths among people over 65 in the USA being 80 times the death rate of those between 18 and 29. In Australia the average age of people dying with Covid is 84, which exceeds the average life expectancy by more than a year.
Co-morbidities are those conditions which are present in a person alongside a particular disease, in this case Covid. There are very specific co-morbidities that increase the risk of hospitalisation and death and which may factor into your decisions about vaccinations or lifestyle choices.
These include (not in order of risk):
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Chronic kidney disease
- Cancer
This study found that respiratory disorders only add a small risk to Covid.
Given that people are currently told 'there is nothing we can do for you, just go home and wait' when they are Covid positive, it is important to understand that in fact there ARE things you may be able to do. Ensuring you are at your absolute healthiest, losing weight, getting your blood sugars as stable as you can, keeping stress low and making decisions about treatments and about your own quality of life are very important.
Too many people are being isolated and made overly fearful with a positive diagnosis so It is also important to know that if you are not in a high risk category, while you need to monitor your symptoms, you are likely to recover from Covid without being seriously ill.
Be armed with the research.
A few References
” In Australian the average age ” Australia