EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – With the surge of COVID-19 local and national officials are encouraging to get your booster shot, but with the new Omicron variant more questions are arising.
Dr. Ed Michelson, professor and chairman of Department of Emergency Medicine at Texas Tech University said, if you just got over COVID-19 you might want to wait to get your booster.
“Having COVID is really like having a big booster, and if you’ve had covid in the last month or two definitely wait for that booster shot,” he explained saying you should wait about two months after you had COVID-19 to get your booster.
When getting over the virus your body produces antibodies that later help you fight the disease, which is exactly what the vaccine does as well, he explained.
It is still unknown how long those antibodies last, but he advised you should still get your booster after those two months pass.
However, he warned, if you had COVID-19 last year, or during the Delta variant surge, you should definitely consider getting your booster that will provide better protection against Omicron.
“While it’s true that our vaccines are imperfect they still allow us to become infected and to have an illness, the vast majority of people who are both vaccinated and boosted don’t end up in the ICU and don’t die,” Dr. Michelson explained.
With the surge of cases, the hospitals are filling up too, and Dr. Michelson said the ERs are extremely busy.
He advised to go to the ER only if you are experiencing severe symptoms like difficulty in breathing, lightheadedness or have an underlying condition.
As far as testing goes, he suggested getting tested if you are experiencing symptoms and assuming you have COVID-19 if you are not sure if it might be the flu or a common cold.
In that case he said to get tested and quarantined while waiting for your test results that might be prolonged at this time.
He suggested working from home if you can while you wait for your test, but if you still must show up to work, to make sure you are isolated from your co-workers and wearing your mask at all times.