Ok, so you're vaccinated.... Now what?

I received my second Moderna vaccine over a month ago. I don't plan on dinning inside restaurants anytime soon and I still avoid crowded subway cars and shopping in crowded stores.  I believe that continued prudence in order. It is clear that a number of more contagious variants are around and spreading.

Last week I had dinner at my son's apartment ( He and I have both been vacinated) for the first time in a year . It felt great to see him in person without us wearing masks.  That being the case, even though I have been fully vaccinated, I continue to double mask when I am treating patients and taking public transportation. 

 Also there is evidence that it is possible to get Covid a second time.  Its likely that those who are vaccinated may get a less severe form of Covid if they do come down with it ( a good thing!) but the best policy to follow is still exhibit some caution. Dr. Fauci believes that it is relatively safe for those who have been fully vaccinated to socialize.  Last Thursday He told Cnn's Chris Cuomo that people who have recieved all their doses could start hanging out He believes that he risk becomes extremely low when both parties have been vaccinated.

There is a new covid variant (1526) in NYC that is similar to the South African variant.) The NYC infection rate has plateaued. No one really knows for certain how much protection we are afforded by vaccination but it clearly our best option is to get vaccinated regardless on how much protection we receive from the various variants. 

I guess as time goes on we all have to decide how to proceed toward our new normal and it may be different for each of us. My nieces have been inviting me to small family gatherings and I finally visited one of them today ( I wore my N95 mask).

I do believe, as our population is more fully vaccinated the  risk of contracting a severe covid infection or us accidently transmitting the virus to others will drastically diminish and we will reach a time when we will be able to resume our "normal" routines. It's my guess that mask wearing probably will be here  for the next year or two and dentists will continue to wear masks and use air management protocols for the indefinite future.