Dr. Fauci said it is likely most Americans will eventually get COVID-19, which leaves some to wonder- Why not get infected now and gain some natural antibodies? Doctors, however, warn against this course of action.
“You don’t know if it is going to be a mild or severe infection,” explains Dr. Emil Lesho, an infectious disease physician with Rochester Regional Health, to 13 Wham News.
For the unvaccinated, there is a risk of severe illness, long-term symptoms, and hospitalization. Vaccinated or not, you also run the risk of spreading the virus to someone who is immunocompromised.
“The more opportunity the virus has to infect and reproduce in people even if it is mild the more opportunity it has to morph into a different variant that will cause more problems, maybe even worse than omicron,” says Dr. Lesho.
Additionally, Dr. Lesho emphasizes the importance of slowing the spread so as to not overwhelm the health care system. Lesho encourages members of the community to continue wearing masks, getting vaccinated, and social distancing.
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