n August 2021, as the Delta variant surged and the threat of hurricanes loomed, President Biden urged people to get their COVID-19 vaccines in case they had to evacuate to a crowded shelter or stay with others indoors.
But even though a vaccine (obviously) won’t prevent hurricane-related injuries, it’s still smart to take preventive health measures against COVID-19 in the face of a natural disaster like a hurricane.
Before COVID-19 vaccines were available, a June 2020 survey of more than 7,000 Florida residents found that 73% of respondents believed that the risks of contracting COVID-19 at a shelter were greater than those posed by a hurricane.
Just over half strongly agreed they’d prefer to shelter in place.
This could be in part because there was less routine testing of affected areas following storms.
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