Carey Roach, MD
Adult Internal Medicine and Pediatrics-Combined
When can I take off my mask?
I’ve had both injections of my Covid 19 vaccine, so what's next? Can I get rid of my cardboard avatar at an Astros game or hug my grandchildren?
When can I safely travel domestically or abroad?
When will I get my shot?
How do I find the latest guidelines stating when we can remove our masks or when we are eligible to get the Covid 19 vaccine?
As we approach what I hope to be the end of the pandemic, lot's of new questions emerge, and I want to help answer them.
1. Near The End of The Storm.
Well, some good news is finally here. The Centers for Disease Control announced this month that 2 weeks after you have been fully vaccinated against Covid 19 (you have received both doses of the double-dose vaccines or the single dose of the single-dose vaccines), you may start meeting with others indoors without wearing a mask if they have been fully vaccinated.
You and vaccinated members of your immediate household may also meet indoors with unvaccinated people if you meet with only one other household in one setting, without other visitors coming over, as long as none of them are at risk for severe illness from Covid 19.
In other words, you may go to one other household that is unvaccinated, such as your extended family, as long as NONE of them have a condition that will predispose them for severe complications from Covid 19 including:
Smoking
Chronic kidney disease
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
Down Syndrome
Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher
Pregnancy
Sickle cell disease
Type II Diabetes mellitus
Cancer
The CDC web site goes on to list other conditions that might be at an increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19 to consider in deciding whether or not to go to an un-immunized person's house:
Asthma (moderate-to-severe)
Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
Cystic fibrosis
Hypertension or high blood pressure
Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
Neurologic conditions, such as dementia
Liver disease
Overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2, but < 30 kg/m2)
Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues)
Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
Type 1 diabetes mellitus
I copied both of the above lists of chronic conditions straight from the CDC's website so that I did not leave anything out or misinterpret it. Note that the CDC did not give any criteria to qualify which of the possible increased risk group, the second group, would eventually be okay to visit, so I would err on the side of not visiting them until they are immunized.
As always, use good judgment about going to someone's house; and when in doubt, just don't go. If you have to go, then stay briefly, maintain a distance of 6 feet or more, and wear a mask. It would be a shame, if not a tragedy, for someone to get infected this close to the finish line of the pandemic.
For more information, check out the CDC website https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html
2. How do I get more information on Covid 19 guidelines? When do I qualify for Covid 19 vaccination?
The CDC publishes guidelines, and metrics exist, but guidelines vary from state to state. Most governors have weekly press conferences or press releases that give out updated information, but the better resource is to access your state health department website. Here in Arkansas, the Arkansas State Department of Health's website is a good resource at https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/novel-coronavirus. It immediately has a page discussing vaccination eligibility and map available of Covid 19 vaccination sites, and it has a Dashboard citing the most recent Covid 19 infection and hospitalization rates.
But I have noticed of late, that state guidelines/mandates do not always reflect those of the CDC, their state's health department, or science. To be clear, I'm not talking about Arkansas. I believe our state officials and governor for the most part have adhered to scientific recommendations and guidelines with a balanced approach to Covid 19 restrictions.
In light of this, I recommend you as a person, a patient, as a Consumer of medical care, investigate things for yourself to help make the best decision possible for your protection from Covid 19. I like the website covidactnow.org which gives clear, up-to-date statistics on Covid 19 activity in your city/metro area, county, and state. You can use the site to compare Covid 19 activity in your area compared to others, and I find it a good resource to determine how safe it is to travel to another city. At the bottom of the first page, you can sign up for email alerts on guidelines in your area or on when you qualify for immunization.
Also Covid Local, at www.covidlocal.org/metrics/, can help you understand the stages of increasing or decreasing restrictions. Look for yourself the staging strategies here and compare them with the level of Covid 19 activity.
3. When and where can I travel?
The website for the Center For Diseases Control, the CDC, at https://www.cdc.gov/ provides the current recommendations for wearing masks, including the new guidelines for travel during the Covid 19 pandemic: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/ind1ex.html. There you can find the latest guidelines for travel, including pre-travel Covid testing, Covid restrictions in each country, and including travel by ship.
It ain't over 'til it's over.
I finally feel hopeful that the pandemic is coming under control. So, choose your cliché or mixed-metaphor way of describing where we are in the pandemic: Light at the end of the tunnel. The beginning of the end. All quiet on the Western front. Whatever.
But always be cautious. Don't go to a concert yet or parties of more than 10 people unless you and they are immunized. Don't assume that, just because someone is family that they won't get you sick. Think of Yogi Berra's proverb, which I think is great wisdom: "It ain't over 'til it's over."
Someday we will travel again. Penelope and I sharing decadent coffees in Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy (where else?) 2019. Just in the nick of time before the Pandemic.
Carey Roach, MD is Board Certified in both Adult Internal Medicine and Pediatrics-Combined. Translated, he specializes in generalities and, sometimes, freaky medical problems of people from birth until 116 years. After 116, you're on your own. He practices primary care medicine at the Barg Family Clinic in Little Rock, Arkansas. Currently, his hobbies include finishing reading Watership Down, eating his wife's great food, and staring in disbelief as his 21-year-old son prepares to get married. When there is not a global pandemic, he loves to travel with his wife and kids. His views are his alone, although based on research and experience; and do not necessarily reflect the views of the management or staff of the Barg Family Clinic (although he thinks they should.) As with any medical information, verify it with your physician before making major medical decisions that would affect your health or the health of others.
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