COLORADO, USA — Every time COVID cases begin to rise, new questions come up about how to react to the virus. Right now, a lot of the focus is on when to get a second booster and whether masks still work when so few people are wearing them.
9NEWS posed these questions to Dr. Andrew French, who is Vice President for Quality, Safety, and Clinical Operations at Centura Health and worked on the COVID Incident Command Team for Centura.
"If you are 50 or above, you are eligible for a fourth shot or a second booster. Or if you are 12 years or older with a medical comorbidity," French said. "We would like you to wait about four months or longer after your most recent vaccine before you would receive that second booster."
But does that change if you just recovered from COVID?
"If you have had COVID recently, then the recommendation is really to wait that three to four month timeframe before considering getting that second booster," French said.
He said that gives you the best opportunity to get the best protection for the longest amount of time.
Speaking of protection, not too many people are wearing masks in public these days. So if you’re at a grocery store or on an airplane, does it still help to wear a mask if no one around you is?
"Yes, it does offer some protection," French said. "The best protection is the more people who are masked, the better off everyone is."
He said N95 masks provide higher levels of protection, especially when others around you aren't wearing masks.
Models predict that COVID cases will rise over the next couple of months before subsiding. Doctors say that since so many people got sick with COVID over the past months, they’re hoping the natural immunity gained from that will help keep this wave mild.
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