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COVID vaccinations have allowed people across the United States to regain a sense of normalcy amid the ongoing pandemic. In the past few months alone, vaccinated Americans have been doing many things for the first time in over a year, like eating a meal in a crowded restaurant or seeing a movie at the movies with friends. Unfortunately, the Delta variant has now pushed the pandemic into dangerous territory, causing a further increase in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Following this alarming spike, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that vaccinated people wear indoor masks again in some areas, and other health experts say they have started to bring back their own COVID precautions beyond that.
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While many virus experts say they are not canceling travel plans yet, they continue to wear masks indoors and no longer visit some indoor locations. Ruth carrico, PhD, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Louisville, told Insider that when it comes to indoor spaces, it’s best to stay away from buildings with poor ventilation, so if they don’t keep their doors open or if the air feels stuffy, skip it, she advises.
So during Emily gurley, PhD, an epidemiologist who works at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland, told Insider that she is not locking herself or her family vaccinated as Delta rises, they bring once again changes to their daily activities, such as no longer eating inside restaurants.
“Maybe a month ago the transmission was so weak here, if you go to a restaurant it’s okay. Eat inside. So now I’m like, ‘Hmm, maybe think about it. a little. Eat out if you can. If you’re going to be inside, put on a mask, ”she said.
Saskia Popescu, PhD, infectious disease epidemiologist and assistant professor at George Mason University, said The Washington Post that she is also not looking into indoor meals at the moment.
She added, “Being indoors is a high risk activity when you eat dinner because you eat and drink. You don’t have a mask. There are a bunch of other people you don’t know. really immunization status and that are also unmasked. You are there for extended periods. “
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Other virus experts are inclined to agree, and they share more indoor places they wouldn’t feel comfortable with, especially with unmasked people who may not have been vaccinated. Vivek Cherian, MD, an internal medicine doctor in Baltimore, told Insider his family no longer goes to the mall and avoids schools without a mask warrant because he has two young children who are not yet eligible for the vaccine. Cherian said her family will be moving to Chicago soon and is watching schools being cautious during the Delta Variant wave.
Gurley told Insider she is also avoiding indoor gyms for now, especially those that don’t require masks, as unmasked exercise facilities have been a hot spot for COVID outbreaks since the start of the pandemic. .
But it is possible that getting to all four of these indoor locations – restaurants, malls, gyms, and schools without a mask requirement – may be less risky in your area. Some cities are now trying to make indoor activities safer for people who have been vaccinated. New York has already announced plans to require proof of vaccination for restaurants, fitness centers and indoor entertainment venues, and Los Angeles County is considering doing the same.
Currently, the CDC does not recommend spending time in any of these locations, as long as you are vaccinated. “Most indoor activities pose a low risk to fully vaccinated people, especially in areas with low or moderate transmission. Infections only occur in a small proportion of fully vaccinated people, even with the Delta variant,” says the CDC. But the rapid spread of the virus across the country means additional precautions may be needed, at least for now.
RELATED: This Kind of Mask Won’t Protect You From the Delta Variant, According to Expert.
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