Since the virus incubates slowly, symptoms may not appear for many days or even a few weeks, and in some situations, even longer. People can become infectious to others 24 to 48 hours before symptoms even show up.
According to the CDC, the pandemic has been challenging to control because 20 to 40 percent of people who are infected never develop symptoms yet potentially are still capable of transmitting the virus to others.
What this means for COVID-19 vaccinations
The CDC advises that health-care workers and nursing home residents should be prioritized when approaching vaccinations.
According to the Guardian, a government panel met on December 2, 2020 and formally recommended early doses of Covid-19 vaccines be given first to healthcare first responders and long-term care facility residents in the US, generally seen as people who live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
This means that more than 23 million Americans, disproportionately including women, people of color and low-wage workers would receive the vaccinations, as they make up healthcare labor force.
The recommendation from the panel at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hinges on a vaccine being approved for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration and later recommended by the advisory panel.
As more information becomes available, citizens are bracing themselves for what’s to come next.