With the various Covid vaccines on the market, it would seem that life is going to get back to normal soon. With this comes a bounce in the economy, job market, and emotional well-being. But we’re in the clear just yet. So as you’re going around town trying to find a new job or just returning to the office for your current one, continue to protect yourself and others.
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Masks Are Still Important
The politics behind mask-wearing notwithstanding, the issue is primarily for the physical well-being of us all. You might be vaccinated and so might the rest of your workgroup, but it’s not quite time to go maskless around the community. This can be confusing for many, so let’s talk about some basic reasons why it’s still important to keep the mask on.
Give It Time
The vaccine doesn’t kick into gear for at least 2 weeks post-vaccination, after the second shot. Even if you received the single dose vaccination, it’s still a few weeks until you’re safe. Regardless of what you might be reading on social media or hearing from buddies at the water cooler, the vaccine isn’t effective immediately.
Not 100% Effective
None of the vaccines are fully protective. Just like none of the flu shots are fully protective. You can still catch Covid-19 and pass it along to someone else. It takes decades for some viruses to be considered eradicated, so we have a long way to go. The good news is that the vaccine should provide much more assistance in the severity of the illness, should you get it.
You Can Still Super-Spread!
This one might be the most important reason: you are still capable of giving Covid to someone else, even if you’ve been vaccinated. Just recently, one Yankees baseball player passed it to 8 of his teammates, and they were all vaccinated. None of them are suffering fiercely, but it proves you’re still a danger to others.
This is the biggest concern many virologists have. The social equation of the virus is unpredictable. Human nature cannot be relied upon. So doctors everywhere are still preaching that masks should be worn in public until herd immunity from vaccinations sets in. That will likely happen by the end of 2021.
Don’t be THAT guy! Wear your mask for the safety of others just like you practice other safety precautions for others.
Compromised People Still Need Us
Unfortunately, people with serious, chronic medical conditions were not part of any of the clinical trials. Much is still unknown about how effective the vaccines will be for them. Also, like other vaccines, allergic reactions are possible. So many who deal with severe allergies are having to avoid the vaccine longer than they’d like.
Considering that tens of millions of the population are considered high-risk individuals, passing the virus to one of them would be potentially catastrophic just as it was a year ago. If we aren’t diligent, or if we get too complacent after we’re vaccinated, the compromised of our society could pay an unfair price.
The CDC’s Most Recent News
Although the CDC has recently said that masks are necessary for certain, low-populated situations, they did not say that masks were not important or vital to the continuing health of the public. Many who heard the news immediately went to restaurants and stores maskless.
And, although CDC is a vital center of information, the regulations of your city/state are still the authority on the matter. Those who rejoiced over the CDC’s statement were quickly escorted out of those establishments when they realized that the laws had not changed, nor had the policies of most businesses.
In conclusion, be smart, be kind, be diligent, and stay up-to-date with your local guidelines and, if traveling, read up on the mask policies of your destination.
