It’s vacation time and we all hope to take full advantage of it. Here’s a little guide to avoid ruining those precious moments of freedom as new, highly contagious variants make their entry into force at the start of the summer.
Will this summer of 2022 be different from previous ones which were marked by a lull in the pandemic?
Unlike past summers (2020 and 2021) which were characterized by a substantial drop in COVID-19 cases, this year we are facing “different variants which are more contagious. Also, we released the sanitary measures early, ”underlines the Dr Don Vinh, microbiologist-infectiologist at the McGill University Health Center (MUHC). “In particular, we abandoned the wearing of masks in schools before the end of classes. We haven’t really encouraged the use of the third dose [que seulement 55 % de la population a reçue]unlike the first two doses [dont 87,95 % de la population s’est prévalue]. We gave up the collective effort for vaccination compared to last summer and unfortunately we are starting to see the consequences, ”he points out.
What precautions should we take to avoid contracting COVID-19 while on vacation?
The Dr Vinh encourages people who plan to travel outside Quebec, particularly to the United States, Europe or Africa where the BA.4 and BA.5 variants circulate abundantly, to get a booster dose one to two weeks before leaving so that the preventive effect is at its maximum during the trip, because the protection against infections is short-lived. This booster dose will consist of a third dose for those who have only received the first two, or a fourth for those who have been adequately vaccinated with three doses for several months.
“Receiving a dose of vaccine as recently as possible will make it possible to have an immunity that is high enough to defend against the virus, whatever the variant, that is to say to avoid contracting it”, adds for his part Roxane Borgès Da Silva, professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Montreal, who traveled by plane last week with her 11-year-old son. The latter, who did not have access to the third dose because of his young age, caught COVID-19 at the airport or on the plane. His mother, who recently had COVID-19 in addition to her three doses of vaccine, was spared.
Although the researcher claims that their case is not a representative sample, she nevertheless draws the conclusion that “having received a dose of vaccine a month ago or having had COVID-19 not long ago will most definitely help not to catch it or only develop very mild symptoms”.
“But the biggest challenge is not catching COVID, which can only cause mild symptoms, but the fact that we are obliged to comply with the health rules of the country we are visiting”, recalls- she while giving the example of France where seven days of isolation are required.
She therefore advises people who received their third dose several months ago to get a fourth dose two weeks before leaving on a trip because this booster dose “will give an immune boost which will allow either not to catch COVID- 19, or to develop milder symptoms, [et assurément de ne pas être hospitalisé car] no one wants to experience hospitalization abroad! “, she says.
Benoît Barbeau, virologist in the department of biological sciences at UQAM, is more reluctant to recommend the use of a fourth dose given the lesser effectiveness of the current vaccine against recent variants. “It should be taken two weeks in advance and the protection will not be long,” he specifies. “Getting vaccinated with a booster dose won’t bring such a huge benefit. Rather, it is necessary to perform as few risky actions as possible in less well-ventilated places. You have to think about doing more outdoor activities and wearing a mask in the busiest places, ”he advises.
Should we maintain barrier gestures?
Busy airports, planes and crowded boats are all environments conducive to the transmission of the virus since the ventilation is not ideal in these closed places. Wearing a mask — even if it is no longer mandatory on public transport (including planes and boats) and most airports (except in Canada) — is a simple measure that will probably save you the inconvenience of suffering of COVID-19 during your trip. Although having been vaccinated will likely save you hospitalization, headaches and sore throats, high fever and severe fatigue could well ruin part of your vacation, says Dr.r Vinh.
“Even if having been infected or adequately vaccinated (i.e. having received three doses of vaccine), or both at the same time, generally rules out a serious infection requiring hospitalization and which could lead to death, it does not provide a sufficient level of antibody to indefinitely prevent infection by the variants that are currently circulating,” said Dr.r Vinh.
“And above all, the infection will force you to isolate yourself for several days and thus prevent you from continuing with your vacation plan,” warns Mme Borges Da Silva.
“There is a huge wait at the airports, particularly in Montreal. The lines leading to baggage check and security are impressive. These long coils in a confined space and without adequate ventilation bring together the ideal conditions for transmitting the virus and catching it when you are not wearing a mask. These monstrous crowds and these long waits increase the probability of coming into contact with a person infected with a variant described as being highly contagious,” continues the researcher, who recommends that people who do not want to suffer from COVID at their destination wear a N95 mask, in the absence of a procedure mask, in airports and on the plane.