Changing the Conversation about COVID to Get More People Vaccinated
This article talks about the type of messaging that is most effective at changing minds about vaccination and how we can provide that messaging through discussion about long COVID-19.
How can we help stop the spread of COVID-19? The question isn’t so much about what we need to stop the spread, we know we need people to get vaccinated, wear masks, and practice social distance, but how do we convince people whose minds seem to be made up against doing any of these things?
The misinformation and political rhetoric have made this feel like an impossible task. We need our patients to listen to us, and we can feel defeated when they would rather believe a radio host than their health care providers. Giving up is not the answer. We need to change the way we speak about COVID-19 and the benefits of getting vaccinated.
The messaging everyone has heard over and over again has been about full hospitals and ICU’s. We have talked about overworked and exhausted healthcare providers and the danger for patients this creates. We have begged people to wear masks to stop the spread and protect their community. We have told the heartbreaking stories of people who are asking for the vaccine just before they are intubated, and of the COVID-19 deniers that reverse their stance when they become seriously ill. It baffles us that, with all this information, people continue to deny that COVID-19 is a problem, or refuse to follow public health guidelines. It’s not personal to them, it doesn’t affect them, and it’s not a problem until it becomes personal.
When we talk to our patients we need to make it personal. Research on messaging to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates found that emphasizing personal benefits of vaccination increased participants' intention to get vaccinated more than any other type of messaging1. One way we can make the message personal is by talking about the long-term consequences of COVID-19 infection. There is more than ICU’s, and ventilators to talk about with our patients. How many times have you heard someone say they don’t have to worry about COVID because they are young, or healthy? In the context of severe illness and hospitalization, they are probably right. The majority of people infected with COVID-19 experience mild illness.
Of course anyone can experience severe illness, but for younger people, people without pre-existing conditions the threat of hospitalization or death is not personal. We need to educate our patients about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on their personal health. A study completed by the University of Arizona Health Sciences found that 68% of patients with mild or moderate covid experienced long COVID, only slightly less than those hospitalized with COVID2. Long COVID or Post COVID is defined as experiencing one or more symptoms lasting four or more weeks3. The most commonly reported symptoms from the University of Arizona study were: fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, and stress or anxiety4.
The following is a list of the most common post-COVID symptoms5:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Tiredness or fatigue
Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental activities (also known as post-exertional malaise)
Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”)
Cough
Chest or stomach pain
Headache
Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations)
Joint or muscle pain
Pins-and-needles feeling
Diarrhea
Sleep problems
Fever
Dizziness on standing (lightheadedness)
Rash
Mood changes
Change in smell or taste
Changes in menstrual period cycles
While there are limitations to the data, it seems the prevalence of these symptoms is high and may affect a large number of people. It remains to be seen how long these symptoms may last and how COVID-19 infection may impact a person’s overall health. It is important for healthcare providers to relay this information to patients who may not know that COVID 19 may have a long-term impact on their health or cause disability. Perhaps then we can change some people’s minds about getting vaccinated to protect themselves from infection and the long-term consequences of that infection.
Another interesting video by medical doctor, Dr.Bean were he discusses his review of spike proteins entering the cells nucleus and inhibiting DNA repair. Could spike proteins potentially lead to an increase in cancer rates? Something to consider.
So why should anyone be forced to take the risk of myocarditis again if they have already been infected with covid19 and can prove immunity with an antibody titer? Especially considering the actual infection with covid19 provides a more robust and longer acting immunity.
Because infection does not provide "a more robust and longer acting immunity"
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
1 hour ago, Sciencedude1 said:
How is the science "twisted" and the data analysis "crazy"? Your opinion bears no weight in the scientific community unless you have a data set proving the contrary. This "crazy and twisted science" is coming from the international community not just American right ring "antivaxers".
You linked to an opinion. You have no evidence which should delay vaccination. You have propaganda, fears and fabrications.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But not their own facts.
Your kind = dishonest people of low moral character who deliberately spread disinformation.
You haven't even disagreed with ME yet
You might have a lot of experience in nursing but you have very little experience debating. Ad hominem attacks speak more about your ability to debate then my moral fiber.
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
8 minutes ago, Sciencedude1 said:
You might have a lot of experience in nursing but you have very little experience debating. Ad hominem attacks speak more about your ability to debate then my moral fiber.
Well the good news that you and I are not engaged in a debate and never have been.
You have absolutely nothing to base your opinion of my debating experience.
You linked to an opinion. You have no evidence which should delay vaccination. You have propaganda, fears and fabrications.
LOL an opinion? The article has references to peer reviewed publications with imperical data discussing incident rates of myocarditis and pericarditis. Hardly an opinion.
33 minutes ago, PMFB-RN said:
Well the good news that you and I are no engaged in a debate and never have been.
You have absolutely nothing to base your opinion of my debating experience.
God I feel sorry for the patients you deal with. God forbid any of your patients disagree with your point of view, or are not vaccinated.
You have said, last month: I am about to finish my nursing education at a public university in Texas.
Just because you enjoy debating/arguing, which you clearly do, does not mean you fully understand science and are "critically thinking." Right now you have a lot of theories and are spreading misinformation, whether you admit to it or not.
It's going to be a rough road ahead; I hope you work in critical care on a covid unit taking care of those unvaccinated in TX in order to see the repercussions of your theories firsthand.
It has been proven it does not enter the nucleus. And, as far as "something to consider," MRNA technology is being used to help cure cancer, not cause it, and has been for awhile now.
You are embarrassing yourself, especially with that avatar.
You have said, last month: I am about to finish my nursing education at a public university in Texas.
Just because you enjoy debating/arguing, which you clearly do, does not mean you fully understand science and are "critically thinking." Right now you have a lot of theories and are spreading misinformation, whether you admit to it or not.
It's going to be a rough road ahead; I hope you work in critical care on a covid unit taking care of those unvaccinated in TX in order to see the repercussions of your theories firsthand.
It has been proven it does not enter the nucleus. And, as far as "something to consider," MRNA technology is being used to help cure cancer, not cause it, and has been for awhile now.
You are embarrassing yourself, especially with that avatar.
What does not enter the nucleus? So you have a better understanding of molecular biology than the doctor you are referencing. I never said MRNA enters the nucleus. Any 9th grade biology student knows that MRNA leaves the nucleus after the process of transcription. What the doctor was saying was that spike proteins enter the nucleus which inhibit DNA repair in vitro studies. The scientist in the publication state that future vaccines should not use entire spike proteins but components instead. I am not embarrassed about me being a new nurse or my ability to think critically. I was a biologist prior to being a nurse and have a good grasp on basic science. I have built students up and helped them obtain biology college credit while learning how to analyze data. The same can not be said about some of the nurses on this forum where everyone is expected to fall in line. I am not concerned about my future career and have already started working with covid19 patients all through out my clinical rotations and internship. While some nurses here were getting paid to work with covid19 patients I was doing it for free. I am well aware of the complications associated with covid19 patients such as ARDS, pulmonary fibrosis, CVA's, MI's, disseminated intravascular coagulation. So please spare me the lecture.
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
32 minutes ago, Sciencedude1 said:
You might have a lot of experience in nursing but you have very little experience debating. Ad hominem attacks speak more about your ability to debate then my moral fiber.
Suggest you go to the COVID forum and read my post titled "I'm Done" so you may understand that I've progressed beyond debating your kind, and why.
Sciencedude1, BSN, RN
211 Posts
An interesting video from a Ph.D in pathophysiology discussing why vaccine mandates are not an effective public health tool.