The best Covid protection measures you should take
Understand the most effective and worthwhile interventions you should be taking
Although Omicron has peaked (in many regions), Covid risk is still elevated far above the Delta peak, so it’s worth thinking about effective Covid safety measures. And not just effective, but cost-effective - my recommendations are focused on what you should do that is most worthwhile in terms of benefits vs cost (where cost includes not just money but effort, sacrifices, and opportunity cost).
Too many Covid protocols focus on ineffective measures like spending huge amounts of time and effort disinfecting surfaces. The best things to focus on: vaccines and air quality are long-term, lasting, highly cost-effective measures; and masks and testing are good measures depending on the risk level of the scenario.
How much does Omicron affect my risk?
With Omicron having peaked in most US regions, the worst of the risk is now over, but currently (as of early Feb 2022) Covid risk is still about as high as the Delta peak - and that’s taking into account Omicron being milder, and boosters. However, it’s not nearly as bad as 2020 because vaccines have greatly reduced the risk of infection and especially of severe illness. Read more
See microcovid.org to estimate your Covid risk exposure and the effectiveness of different safety measures.
What should I do to best protect myself and those around me from Covid?
Prefer outdoors interactions with groups of people (1/100 the risk). Outdoors is so low-risk that unless you know someone is Covid-positive, you basically don’t need to worry about Covid risk. In particular, masking is unnecessary. (Here, outdoors means being in the open air - being in an enclosed tent is indoors.)
Use air purifiers (1/4 the risk, top pick: Coway AP-1512HH Mighty) in your home and office. Run on medium 24/7. Air filtration is amazing, an easy way to reduce Covid risk 4-fold and increase your life expectancy 2 months. Read more.
You can also improve ventilation by opening windows, if possible. For strong Covid protection, the target is to have 4-5 air changes per hour through filtration, ventilation, or both. If you can’t get there, some is a lot better than none.
Masks: If you're still using a cloth or surgical mask, upgrade to an N95 (1/8 the risk, top pick: 3M Aura 9210+) or P100 (1/20 the risk). Importantly, make sure you’re getting a good seal - no air leaking around the edges. A poorly-sealed N95 has 1/3 risk vs a well-sealed N95 1/8 risk. Read more.
Vaccines: Get your COVID booster shot (Moderna or Pfizer recommended). Very early studies indicate vaccinated with a booster is 1/2 the risk compared to fully vaccinated. (This is the most important item on the list cost/benefit-wise but you’ve probably already done it if you’re reading this.) Read more.
Testing can be a useful mitigation strategy, but recognize that rapid test results are evidence and not a guarantee of whether you’re positive or negative, and the value of PCR tests is often limited by the delay in getting results. Since rapid antigen tests have estimated average 85% sensitivity (though estimates vary widely 1 2 3), think of a negative result as meaning you have roughly 1/6 the risk.
Estimate Covid risk exposure with microcovid.org - budget your risk and plan safety measures accordingly. Focus on time spent in crowded indoors spaces. When case counts are surging (or dropping), update your behavior accordingly. Read more.
Think about how you will live long-term in a world where Covid is endemic, and then think about what you will do in the meantime as the pandemic evolves (we’re still far from endemic Covid, maybe even years).
I also recommend Zvi's summary post on Omicron and what you should do.
Detailed articles
I tend to write really long, detailed articles, but I’ll always try to summarize the key information at the top.
Covid vaccine recommendations: Get a booster shot to protect against Omicron
Omicron: How does it change Covid risk and what should we do about it?
Upcoming topics
How to live with endemic Covid, and how to get there
Resources to advocate to your employer about improving workplace air quality
This article is an evergreen, living document that I will continue updating over time.
Like with all my posts, feedback/questions/comments are very welcome - feel free to send me an email or message, or comment on this post.