As the vaccine rollout continues across the country, some grandparents may be vaccinated and looking forward to visiting with their loved ones again.
“It’s been such a hard thing for older individuals to be isolated and away from family,” said Ronan Factora, MD, a geriatric medicine specialist with Cleveland Clinic. “To be using social media and video as a means of communication, you lose that human touch that has been so important.”
Dr. Factora said before scheduling that happy post- vaccination reunion, there are a few precautions families should take.
It’s important to remember the COVID-19 vaccine is most protective about two weeks after the second dose, and even then it’s not 100% effective.
So, when you do plan your next visit with grandparents, masks and social distancing are still important.
He also advises gathering in a smaller group or planning activities outdoors to further reduce risk.
It’s also a good idea to think about where you’ve been recently and if you could be at risk of spreading the virus.
And he reminds us, we can’t let our guard down just yet.
“We can’t let go of the things that we’ve gotten used to in the last year and that’s not the message everyone wants to hear,” said Dr. Factora. “We want to get rid of all this, but it is a road we have to travel. We are going to get there, but it’s just going to take time.”
Dr. Factora said it’s hard to say when visits can completely go back to normal. He adds that it depends on a couple of factors – like case numbers dropping to a certain level and more people getting vaccinated.
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