Will COVID-19 Vaccine Give you Immunity?
Dr. Daniel Refai Answers Coronavirus Questions
What are some of the key things that businesses should implement as they open up to screen for Covid-19 virus?
I think one of the key things is you have to provide an environment that is safe, not only for your employees, your patients, your customers. Which can require you to do multiple different things. One of them is going to be social distancing. One is going to be hand sanitizing and adequate and frequent temperature checking with a policy of wearing masks. We know these are effective ways in preventing the transmission of Covid-19.
We know from our experience with coronaviruses (and Covid 19 is a coronavirus), that just like the influenza virus which is a coronavirus that we would have to require, most likely, yearly vaccinations. There’s actually talk of even requiring 2 vaccines for Covid 19. So, one could imagine one or 2 vaccines a year in addition to the influenza virus specifically aimed at Covid. I think that this would be a yearly thing. I also believe that coming to terms that we’re going to be having new social norms where hand sanitization, wearing masks, social distancing, temperature screening are probably going to be with us for very long time moving forward.
How would you use IntelliStart station in a hospital environment?
In our current models we are screening at the entrance sites. Usually you are being screened when you enter the building and then throughout the day there are many sites where we have hand sanitizers. My prediction with IntelliStart touchless thermometer and hand sanitizer dispenser is you would have the device set up at the entrances, at the exits, at elevators and cafeterias. Any place where you have contact with other individuals including in hospital wards and even potentially in front of hospital rooms for patients.
I think what’s nice about the IntelliStart is that you’re not only doing the temperature screening but you’re also getting the hand sanitizer. Usually one of the biggest issues is compliance. So I think this allows you at the same time to increase your compliance rates with high fidelity.
Why is it so important to sanitize your hands?
We know that hand sanitization is a very effective way of preventing disease/illness. This is not only with viruses such as Covid-19 or influenza but also with bacteria. As physicians and as human beings, one of the most common ways of transmitting disease is actually our hands. So, keeping your hands clean and sanitizing your hands often is an extremely effective way of preventing disease transmission.
DR DANIEL REFAI, MD
Daniel Refai, MD, is Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Orthopedics at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Refai also serves as Director of Spinal Oncology at the Emory Spine Center. He sees patients at Emory University Hospital Midtown, Grady Memorial Hospital and Emory Orthopedic and Spine Center.
