If you’re high-risk, you should still be careful

Dr William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, says he and his wife are still playing it conservatively. He cautions people to stay “careful, not carefree.” As they are older, they are at higher risk of serious illness if they catch the virus. They also care for a family member who is undergoing chemotherapy.

Consider masks in crowded, poorly ventilated places

Dr Bob Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, plays it a little more by ear. “I have come to calibrate my mask-wearing based on my best-educated guess as to the possibility that someone has COVID and also how important is it for me to do the thing without a mask,” Wachter says. While he’s no longer concerned about death or serious illness, the virus can still knock you out. Wachter watched firsthand as his wife recovered from a bout of long COVID-19. He evaluates it case by case. A small gathering where everyone is vaccinated and windows open may not require one. But sitting on an aeroplane or in a large, crowded theatre might be a good idea to do one.