We’re all eager to enjoy summer fun with friends and family, but continued vaccine hesitancy and the rise of the Delta variant of COVID-19 raises questions about how to reconnect with our favorite people and activities safely.
Our own Amit Dhir, CRNP took a moment to answer some of the most common questions, and share some ideas on how to have a fun, safe summer.
How safe is it out there right now? Are we really back to normal?
In light of the Delta variant of covid-19 virus, if you're fully vaccinated and living in a place where case numbers continue to fall because there's a high vaccination coverage, it would be relatively safe, depending who you are hanging out with. However, larger group gatherings and close contact without masks, especially indoors, still bears a risk of transmission and infection. Even among vaccinated individuals. While those are not likely to experience severe symptoms, they still play a role in increasing the amount of transmissions in the community. Due to that, some experts recommend for everyone to wears masks again in the public setting, vaccinated or not.
But are we back to normal yet? We are not. We still have a lot of people who are not vaccinated yet and with the Delta variant, the infection rates are rising in most unvaccinated people.
We know that vaccines are incredibly good at preventing people from becoming ill with the virus and getting COVID-19. We also know that if they do become infected, and maybe not even have symptoms, or have mild symptoms, that they're less likely to transmit the virus. So, vaccines play an important role in reducing transmission. That said, particularly if you're living in a high incidence environment - a place where there's a lot of COVID circulating - adding a mask in crowded indoor spaces is just an added layer of protection. And also, it has become a bit of a habit, but I don't want to undersell the importance of vaccines. They're doing remarkable work. And the safest way to protect yourself and others is to get vaccinated.
What kinds of activities might be safest to participate in? Are there any to avoid?
It’s always good to be cautious. As more and more people are getting vaccinated, it is definitely looking better. If ever concerned, mask up and always wash or sanitize your hands as a good hygiene practice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that it's OK for fully vaccinated people to return to doing activities that they might not have been able to do because of the pandemic.
However, the new variants seems to create a higher risk of vaccinated people to get infected. Therefore, it is best to continue to avoid large indoor group gatherings, especially when - physical distancing and mask wearing is not consistently being practiced by the crowd. Furthermore, fully vaccinated people who have an underlying medical condition(s) or are taking medications that can weaken their immune system might be at higher risks of getting infected and should be more cautious. If you fit this description, talk to your doctor about your activities.
Some of my friends are not vaccinated. Should I avoid seeing them? If I do see them, are there any precautions we should take?
According to the CDC, if it has been two weeks since you have had two doses of either the Moderna vaccine or the Pfizer vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you should be safe to visit unvaccinated family and friends, but the visits should be limited to one unvaccinated household at a time. If a person who is fully vaccinated visits a household that has a member who is at high risk for contracting COVID-19, everyone needs to socially distance, wash hands and wear masks. You can gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk of severe illness from COVID 19. However, it is best to meet outdoors and maintain physical distancing. Most new documented infections are related to indoor meetings with close physical contact among larger groups.
There’s a lot of talk about new variants of COVID-19—do I need to change or cancel my plans for the rest of the summer? How can I stay safe?
The chances of being exposed to the Delta variant in the U.S., Europe, or other parts of the world while traveling this summer are high. If you’re unvaccinated or traveling with unvaccinated people, however, the risk of infection is substantially higher. If you’re an unvaccinated person, that, I think, makes your travel prospects much riskier. If you are traveling internationally, countries have imposed their own restrictions with respect to the Delta variant of COVID-19. So, continue to check updates for the destination country you are traveling to and follow CDC’s guidance for any national updates.
To ensure safety, continue to follow practices of handwashing and masking, as CDC and your local authorities recommend. The same rules apply when traveling: Meet outdoors, avoid larger groups, maintain physical distancing, and wear a mask in crowded areas. The more you follow those rules, the lower the risk of infection.
For more, visit www.chasebrexton.org/StayHealthy.
