Can I return to my old activities?
Not at first.
Public health experts say that in the short term, life will look much the same after you are vaccinated. A much larger share of the population needs to be vaccinated before the pandemic is manageable.
Mostly, they recommend that you still wear a mask, maintain social distancing around those not in your household, and keep your hands clean.
Why? Because already in late March 2021, new COVID-19 cases have spiked 22% in the US.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on March 29th that she was “scared” and felt “impending doom” about where the US is heading. Although vaccination rates are rising and eligibility is expanding, more-contagious COVID-19 variants like B.1.1.7 are spreading, and many people still are vulnerable.
It started when, against Federal health officials’ guidance, more than a dozen state governors ended mask-wearing rules. A measure that stalled the downward trend in infections and reversed much of the hard work and recent gains in containing the covid-19 outbreak.
Even though you may have your vaccinations, much more of the population needs to be vaccinated before a proper resumption of “old activities” can begin.
The vaccines are very effective, but they are not 100 percent effective. (No Vaccine is 100% effective – often very close, but not 100%) The Coronavirus is also mutating and changing. While the existing vaccines have proven effective against these variants, an annual vaccine for newer strains will likely be required.
Quite simply, more diligence is required.
The vaccination efforts are accelerating, and that’s a significant improvement. As more of the US is inoculated, social contact will become more safer.
Continue your social distancing, wear a mask, and practice good hand-washing hygiene. If everyone is responsible, we’ll be able to return to a more normal existence much sooner.
Image by Angelo Esslinger from PixabayÂ
