LYNN — Residents who participated in the city of Lynn’s first COVID-19 “Tele-Town Hall” on Tuesday night raised questions surrounding how often they should get tested, the accuracy of test results, and whether people become immune, or if they’re susceptible to reinfection.
As health experts continue to be concerned with the risk of a “double viral infection” during the upcoming flu season, the city’s public health director Michele Desmarais, Mayor Thomas M. McGee, and a panel of three local doctors also urged Lynn residents to get a flu vaccine this year.
“The flu vaccine is extremely safe,” said Dr. Mitchell Rein, chief medical officer of North Shore Medical Center, who acknowledged that some individuals are concerned about vaccinations in general.
“It really is the best way to prevent the flu. This year it is exceptionally important we do everything we can to keep the risk of flu at a minimum. The risk of having both COVID and flu at the same time could be devastating for (people).”
The flu vaccine is more than 60 percent effective for young to middle-aged people, added Dr. Barbara Lambl, an infectious disease specialist from North Shore Medical Center. Although the vaccine is less effective for the elderly, there is a stronger flu shot available for that older age group, she said.
“This year, above all, you want to protect yourself from the flu,” said Lambl. “You do not want to risk the chance of a double viral infection this season because they are both deadly and we know the coronavirus is more deadly than the flu.”
The two medical experts were answering a question from a resident who wanted to know whether the flu vaccine was free.
Desmarais said the city is running two free flu clinics this month for the public, Thursday, Oct. 15 from 3-7 p.m. at Thurgood Marshall Middle School and Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Breed Middle School.
Lynn Community Health Center also offers flu vaccinations for its patients, which are covered by insurance, according to LCHC Dr. Clark Van Den Berghe. The health center offers a walk-in flu clinic each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., which is open to everyone, he said.
Residents’ other questions during the hour-long session mainly revolved around COVID-19 testing, and they were invited to take part in two interactive poll questions, the results of which were shared during the forum.
One 70-year-old resident, Roy (last names were not shared during the forum), wanted to know whether he should regularly get tested for COVID-19 even if he was not showing symptoms.
Panelists agreed that while everyone should get a baseline test, it’s not necessary to get tested regularly if they have not been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus, or if they are not experiencing flu-like symptoms.
Rein said it was more important for people, especially for those who are in a high-risk age group like Roy, to practice COVID-19 safety precautions, such as hand washing, social distancing, mask wearing and avoiding large gatherings.
Another resident, Moe, wanted to know if there had been an improvement with COVID-19 testing, in terms of having fewer false results.
While the sensitivity of the testing continues to improve, Rein said all types of available tests have some risk of false negatives. The worst offender is the rapid test, which has the highest rate of false negatives, but does have the advantage of providing immediate results, he said.
The most accurate test is the nasal swab, or PCR tests, Lambl said, which uses swabs to detect COVID-19.
“It’s much more accurate than the rapid nasal swab or the saliva test,” said Lambl. “The rapid test is also done as a nasal swab or saliva test, but the problem is the test can come back as falsely reassuring that you don’t have coronavirus when in fact you do.”
Van Den Berghe noted that the Lynn Community Health Center only uses the nasal swab that is not the rapid test, explaining that only hospitals have access to rapid testing. People who get tested at the health center usually get their results in two days, he said.
Gordon, another resident, wanted to know whether people could get the virus more than once.
In response, Lambl said that the research is unclear at this point, as there are still a lot of unknowns about the coronavirus. She cited the case of a young man from Hong Kong, who has been documented as having two COVID-19 infections, one that he contracted in Hong Kong, and another that he became infected with while traveling in France.
“Just because you’ve had the virus and you have a positive antibody test doesn’t mean you’re protected from a second infection,” said Lambl. “What we fear is this virus, the coronavirus may be like the flu. It can come back on you several times even if you’ve had it before because there are different strains.”
The hope is that antibodies from a future coronavirus vaccine will offer some protection from infection, added Van Den Berghe, but he agreed that there is not enough information available on whether there are multiple strains of the virus that could lead to reinfection.
With Halloween approaching, one resident wanted to know if the city would allow for the celebration of the holiday this year.
McGee and Desmarais both urged residents to avoid high-risk activities, such as trick or treating, with Lambl adding that the infection can be spread through the hands and contaminate Halloween candy, even if it is inside a wrapper.
Residents were also asked to answer two poll questions during the session, which centered around how they had been most impacted by the pandemic and what they thought could contribute to curbing the spread of the virus in the city.
The majority of respondents, or 39 percent, indicated that they had been most affected by COVID-19 through losing their job or experiencing a loss of income. Other residents said they had experienced food insecurity (30 percent), had tested positive or lost someone to the virus (20 percent), and had dealt with housing insecurity (11 percent).
Nearly half of respondents, or 42 percent, felt stronger enforcement of non-compliance, in terms of virus restrictions, would improve COVID-19 safety in the community. Only 10 percent felt continuing with the status quo was the best option.
In his closing remarks, McGee said the “Tele-Town Hall” would be the first of many similar sessions that are planned for future dates.
“Our actions or lack of responsible actions in following the COVID-19 guidelines and personal hygiene practices will determine how we limit the spread in our community and ensure that we keep our community safe,” said McGee. “We as a community need to continue to do everything we can to curb the spread of coronavirus so that we can get on a healthier path and get through this together.”
