As a country, we are still in the middle of a pandemic.  Over 200 million people have taken the vaccine, but as a country in the US, we are only about 60% of the country is vaccinated.  The experts have said we need to get to about 75% for a chance at "herd immunity".  Your best chance to avoid getting the virus or at least not ending up in the hospital is to get vaccinated.  Many people are resisting, for various reasons.  Some live in areas where it has been hard to get access to the vaccine.  Some are claiming a religious exemption, and some are believing the misinformation that they get from fringe news outlets.

Well the Omicron variant is the latest strain, and right now it is the most dominant one.  We are seeing more and more people testing positive and having to quarantine.  Our Kansas City Chiefs had an outbreak and a lot of professional sports teams in the NBA, and NFL and other sports are seeing more and more cases.

Your best chance to fight this virus is still to get vaccinated.  At the very least, your symptoms have shown to be a lot less severe, and you can recover quicker, and won't end of in the hospital.  Which is the most important.

Now there is another option to help in the fight, if you test positive.  US. regulators authorized Pfizer's pill, Paxlovid, and Merck’s molnupiravir last week. In high-risk patients, both were shown to reduce the chances of hospitalization or death from COVID-19, although Pfizer's was much more effective.

Here's the catch.  It must be taken as soon as possible once symptoms occur.  The challenge is getting tested, getting a prescription and starting the pills in a short window.

Now what are the symptoms of the new Omicron variant? Looks like it will be similar to the common cold, being sore throat, runny nose, and a headache.  You can click HERE for some more info.  If you remember, there weren't too many cases of the flu last winter, because so many of us were wearing masks, so that can help too.  So if you feel flu-like, perhaps get a test ASAP, and get with your doctor to discuss the best options for you.

Now who should and shouldn't take this pills?  What is the treatment window? Where can you get the pills? Wil the pills work for the Omicron variant? Are there options for new COVID-19 patients?  Click HERE for the answer to all of those questions.  And please get vaccinated, and boosted if you can.  It really is your best option.  We have put health care workers through enough as it is.  They would like a break. There have been over 815,000 dead from COVID 19.  That is enough.  We can beat this thing.  Stay safe.

Answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

Vaccinations for COVID-19 began being administered in the U.S. on Dec. 14, 2020. The quick rollout came a little more than a year after the virus was first identified in November 2019. The impressive speed with which vaccines were developed has also left a lot of people with a lot of questions. The questions range from the practical—how will I get vaccinated?—to the scientific—how do these vaccines even work?

Keep reading to discover answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions.

Gallery Credit: Stephanie Parker

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