As a general rule recommended by
medical experts on COVID-19, people who have completed vaccination against the
remarkably resilient pandemic (two injected doses for most vaccines), must
still bother with maintaining the mandatory health and safety protocols. Yes,
the masks, face shields, regular hand-washing and sanitizing plus social
distancing must still be observed even by the vaccinated, at least until such a
time as enough have been given vaccines to ensure herd immunity. It is not
unheard of for completely COVID-vaccinated people to still somehow catch the
coronavirus, if they happen to drop their guard. That is why even Royalty is
taking some hefty precautions.
Take for instance Kate Middleton,
aka Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge and wife of Prince William of Wales. Entertainment Tonight has it that the
Duchess has gone into self-isolation after she had close contact with a
confirmed COVID case in the UK last week. Her isolated status was announced in
a statement from her and William’s official residence at Kensington Palace on
Sunday, July 4. Kensington officials note that Kate has not manifested symptoms
but is following the UK government’s COVID safety guidelines by self-isolating.
It is surmised that the Duchess
came into contact with a COVID-positive case while attending the Wimbledon
Championships last Friday, July 2. By the afternoon of that day Kate was
informed that she had contact, although Kensington has declined to elaborate on
the details (such as the possible identity of the COVID carrier) beyond the
fact that Her Royal Highness had begun her self-isolation. This is in spite of
the fact that Kate has completed two COVID vaccine doses. She also undergoes a
twice-weekly routine COVID-19 test given to members of the Royal Family, and
had already tested negative before going to Wimbledon that time.
The House of Windsor has had some
tough times with the coronavirus, particularly on the early days of the global
pandemic in 2020. Prince Charles was diagnosed with COVID on March that year,
and shortly after his son Prince William also tested positive. While Charles’
diagnosis was made public, that of William, Duke of Cambridge was kept quiet
and revealed only by November 2020. His wife Kate has had the good fortune of
getting her shots without incident, but her brush last week is a somber
reminder that even that is not an absolute guarantee of safety, and only when
herd immunity – enough of a community’s population being vaccinated – is achieved
can people finally relax.
Image courtesy of NBC News
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