We are all familiar with Punxsutawney Phil, that cute little guy who pops out of his hole each Groundhog Day and lets us know how much longer we must wait for spring to arrive. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a furry little creature who could tell us how much longer it will be before COVID is no longer a pandemic and we can all get back to “normal”?
Of course, this is not going to happen. Instead, our national and global medical experts will be the ones to let us know when the pandemic to endemic shift occurs. Much of the discourse on endemicity makes it sound like it’s something we will achieve overnight. Becoming endemic means that a disease is regularly found in a certain place. It means that the disease is here to stay and we have learned to live with it. Compared to the spring of 2020, we have made enormous strides toward learning to live with this disease, particularly now that we have vaccines and treatments available.
In the meantime, with it looking as though the Omicron variant has peaked in the Rappahannock Area Health District and COVID cases declining, is it safe to resume certain activities? The encouraging answer for those of us who are up to date on our COVID vaccinations is yes. However, there is still a high rate of transmission in our communities, and there are safety precautions all of us should still be practicing:
*Everyone ages 2 and older should continue to wear a mask when in a public, indoor space in areas of high or substantial community transmission: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/…
*If you are sick, stay home.
*Consider those who live in your household who may be at increased risk of serious illness, such as those immunocompromised, before participating in certain activities.
If you have received a full primary dose of the vaccine (2 doses of Pfizer or Moderna or 1 dose of J&J) and have received your booster dose, you are included in the group that is considered up to date on your COVID vaccination. If you are also generally healthy, your risk of severe illness from COVID is very low. Note that this is not saying you have no risk, so assessing that risk is important. Here are a couple of ideas of ways to incorporate activities back into our lives that pose less of a risk:
*If you want to go to a restaurant and dine-in, choose a time of day that is less busy, like the hours between lunch and dinner. Find a table that is not too close to any other diners.
*Want to see a movie in the theater? Go to a matinee and pick a seat that gives you a good amount of distance from others.
*If you are going to a gym, start with equipment that is in areas not as utilized so you can remain at a safe distance from others.
There are some very encouraging signs when it comes to COVID and we have good reason to feel optimistic. It’s been a long journey for all of us. We just need to continue to take certain precautions for now so we can help ensure as we move forward, we can keep going!
In Good Health,
Dr. O.
