We Protect Our Digital Assets by Layering Protection. Why Not Do the Same for Our Health?
Everyone is probably wrestling with why they have been constantly getting sick with more than “just a cold” lately. It so happens that all airborne viruses can linger in the air for hours. They can also mutate into new variants that our immune systems may miss or not recognize. Additionally, more data reveals that regardless of one’s vaccination status the risk of them developing debilitating conditions like cognitive decline, cardiovascular disorders, breathing difficulties, reproductive dysfunction, musculoskeletal pain and more will rise every time an infection occurs. Anecdotal evidence of this on social media is not hard to find! While vaccines are a powerful tool to reduce the chances of transmission, vaccines alone should not be relied upon to protect us from avian flu, COVID, measles, etc.; it’s best to use all infection prevention tools available to us in combination like in the following example.
“Vax and Relax” is like securing a digital asset with only a password. As readers may well know, Multi-Factor Authentication is an electronic authentication method that requires a user to enter more than one correct login credential before being granted access privilege to an account or application. In the past, we only needed a password for opening and securing them. However, relying solely on this factor for security proved inadequate as hackers became savvier; they can simply learn the right combination if it’s not kept secret or otherwise use open-source software tools to crack it. Today, with Multi-Factor Authentication, we can now enable our accounts/applications with additional sign-in requirements: a password plus an SMS message, a verification app, etc. This security model keeps us safer, since it means attackers need to do way more work to get to us. So why not apply the same concept for infection prevention in a way that can better prevent any airborne virus from infiltrating bodies and making them go haywire?
Just like Multi-Factor Authentication, utilizing extra infection prevention measures with up-to-date vaccination such as wearing high-quality masks (N95s), staying home after testing positive for infection, adding more ventilation within indoor spaces, and preventing overcrowding, is working better in preventing the likelihood of getting sick and spreading illness to others in the first place. Each recommended measure listed further reduces the risk of viral exposure and ultimately harm to oneself and others, like multiple layers of protection. In addition, this positive outcome is greatly enhanced when more people take part. Combined altogether, every factor backs up what another one lacks in protective benefits, providing larger-scale protection that lasts no matter what variants circulate over time.
At this point, it’s clear that without regulatory oversight no one knows what form airborne viruses (be it measles or avian flu spreading in humans) will next emerge as. Happily, with layered precaution taking, they can stop spreading and causing long-term health issues among us leading to better public health outcomes. Best of all, fulfilling all the recommendations here can be affordable for those on a tight budget. There are many non-profits available globally specializing in offering masks, vaccines, testing kits, and/or medical-grade air purification equipment at little to no cost made possible through donations (see URLs below for details). And by lobbying to fund widespread economical access of layering protection for underserved areas as well as increasing accurate infection prevention literacy, everyone can take their health security in their hands with confidence.
Free/low-cost PPE resources:
https://maskbloc.org
https://whn.global/vaccine-clinics-events-finder/
