Does being vaccinated mean you don’t have to wear a mask? Answer: no, mask up, please. B/c vaccine protects you from getting sick if you are exposed to virus, but it doesn’t reliably stop virus from hitching a ride in your nose & jumping to someone else. 1/6
We know the vaccines don’t entirely stop people from getting sick if exposed. They reduce risk by 95% (20-fold). But as people start mingling much more after vaccination, they increase their odds of exposure. 2/6
So think of it this way. Social distancing and masks reduce your risk of being exposed to the virus. And a vaccine reduces your risk of getting sick if you are exposed. But if you stop social distancing, you are way more likely to get exposed. 3/6
And upon exposure, the odds of the virus hitching a ride in nose of even a vaccinated person are high enough (at least 5%, likely >10%) that unvaccinated people should consider a socially active, mask-less, vaccinated person a carrier and therefore keep their distance. 4/6
So once you’re vaccinated, wear a mask for others. Once others are vaccinated, you can go back to normal (maybe skip handshakes- those where never a good idea). 5/6
Widespread covid vaccination will restore things to nearly normal (likely some people will still suffer from Covid), and that means other viruses will make a comeback. Don’t forget to get a flu shot. Happy holidays- next year will likely be better (bar is low). 6/6
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