NEW ORLEANS — There's no question: getting vaccine shots in arms is key to putting COVID-19 in the rearview.
But how quickly can we return to something resembling our pre-pandemic life after receiving the vaccine?
Dr. Benjamin Springgate, Chief of Community and Population Medicine at LSU Health New Orleans is urging caution.
“We want people to understand that the vaccines are really important,” Springgate said. “It’s going to help us end this pandemic. But they have not given us enough certainty yet with the data that we have now to say it’s okay to just back to business as usual.”
Frank Dixon had a lot time to tend to the garden in his backyard over the past 11 months.
The 70-year-old Metairie man hopes to get out of the house more, now that he’s received both doses of the vaccine.
“It makes me feel healthier,” Dixon said. “I’m protected.”
But he’s not taking any chances.
“I feel more comfortable,” Dixon said. “But you don’t know with this thing. It’s the most dangerous thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Dr. Springgate says getting a shot doesn’t mean you can simply return to the life you had before the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Hopefully, we’ll learn more in coming weeks about the transmission that’s associated with getting the vaccine, is it decreased for example, but for now, we still have to wear a mask because those studies are ongoing,” Springgate said.
What about expanding your social circle?
“Informally, Dr. (Anthony) Fauci has been quoted as saying that small groups of people who have been vaccinated, family members for example can gather together in the same home,” Springgate said.
Is it okay to return to a busy restaurant, go to a concert or attend any large gathering?
“Each of these events still has some risk,” Springgate said. “You still need to practice distancing.”
Is a vaccine a free pass to travel?
“We definitely need to make sure people are not taking any unnecessary travel at this time,” Springgate said. “That may lead to spread, particularly if some of these virus variants that we’ve been learning about recently.”
Being careful now will pay off later.
“I think increasingly over the course of this year, we will be able to get more and more back to normal,” Springgate said.
For Dixon, normal means getting back to his tour guide business.
“The spring is usually a good time to drive for tours,” Dixon said. “But maybe the fall will be even better.”
The bottom line, just because you have a vaccine shot, doesn’t make you bullet-proof.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now finalizing guidance aimed at clarifying what people who have received COVID-19 vaccines should and shouldn't do.
That report was expected to come out this week.
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