Local impact: Doctors urge the public to keep their guard up even as the impact of the pandemic decreases and cases fall

MONTEREY >> Warmer weather and people seeking respite from a very, very long bout of cabin fever may bring an influx of tourists to Monterey in the coming weeks, vaccinated and unvaccinated alike, but local experts say we can’t let our guard down yet.

“We don’t want to give this terrible virus another opportunity to get a foothold in our community,” said Dr. Martha Blum, medical director of infection prevention at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.

There are lots of reasons to be cautious, even after receiving a vaccine. For one thing, vaccines don’t work instantly, said Dr. Catherine Blish, associate professor of infectious diseases at Stanford.

Developing immunity takes much longer than the time it takes to get an injection, usually one to two weeks.

Until then, the vaccine can’t provide any sort of protection. Blish said people getting infected immediately after getting the vaccine think this means the

vaccine didn’t work, but this isn’t the case.

“It’s just that they got exposed before their body had the chance to mount an immune response,” she said.

Another reason to stay cautious is because of variant strains of SARS-CoV-2 popping up in California, and even in Monterey, said Blum. She said she’s seen variants in Monterey that may be more contagious and may be able to escape immune defenses from the vaccine or prior COVID-19 exposure.

Until we have a better idea about whether the vaccines will protect against these new variants, we need to be cautious experts say.

One of the most important reasons to keep masking up and social distancing after being vaccinated is to protect unvaccinated people from getting infected. Getting the vaccine “doesn’t mean it’s a magic bullet — that suddenly you’ll have armor where the virus just bounces right off,” said Blish.

Even with the vaccine, the virus can still get into your body and start making copies of itself, with the difference being you might be able to fight off the virus in two days, instead of seven, maybe eliminating it before you even start to feel sick.

But during the time the virus is replicating, Blish said there’s a theoretical risk you could spread it to someone else.

According to Blum, a lot of the pandemic is being carried by asymptomatically infected people. “These asymptomatic carriers are probably still a very significant contributing factor for why it’s still spreading,” she said, which is why even vaccinated people should still do their part to not spread the virus.

So after a harrowing and heartbreaking year, if we still can’t go back to normal after getting the shot, some people might wonder if getting the vaccine is worth all the hype.

Yes, said Blum. “It’s still worth it.” For one thing, you will be protected from getting sick. Even if you’re not part of an “at risk” group, there’s no guarantee the infection won’t pack a wallop — Blum has seen even young, healthy people get seriously ill from COVID-19.

For another thing, Blum said if we want all the restrictions lifted to really get back to normal, “the only path to doing that safely is to have everybody get immunity.”

“The idea is that in order for a forward transmission to happen, you have to have two things,” said Blish. “One, an infected person and two, a susceptible person.”

As more and more people get vaccinated, the odds of getting an infected and a susceptible person together get slimmer, making it easier to control viral spread. This is the concept behind “herd immunity.”

But the flip side is also true. As people gather in larger groups, those odds go back up, which is why large gatherings are still risky.

Some people may still be hesitant to get the vaccine. Blish thinks there are a lot of misconceptions about the vaccines being developed so quickly they’re not safe.

“These vaccine platforms have been under development for years and years,” she said, “in our efforts to improve upon vaccines for HIV and other pathogens.

She said the technology has been through extensive rounds of safety testing long before the pandemic.

“What we’re seeing now is not the culmination of a year of work, but the culmination of decades of careful work,” said Blish. “It’s really a triumph of years and years of dedicated effort by hundreds or thousands of scientists,” she said.

According to Hailey Battle, staff psychiatric nurse practitioner with Community Hospital, we’ve had plenty of local triumphs too. She said people who have done their part to stop the spread should be really proud of helping the daily case counts in Monterey County drop.

For people who are still discouraged about mask mandates not being lifted, she suggested some ideas for making mask-wearing more comfortable, like practicing mindful breathing if the mask makes you feel claustrophobic and remembering to stay hydrated.

In the meantime, as we wait for everyone to be vaccinated, Battle said to take the restriction lifts as mini-celebrations for the progress we are making as a community. “Everyone who understands the restrictions and understands the seriousness of the pandemic is completely thankful” for the people who have stayed home, masked up and gotten tested, she said.

In the end, despite the fear and frustration, she said, there’s always hope.

“Hope tends to die last,” said Battle. “When you have hope and people who have tried so hard through this pandemic — that’s something to be truly honored and celebrated.”