With Covid-19 infections at their highest levels since January and hospitalizations at a level not seen since the winter surge, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending indoor masking even for vaccinated people. While new studies show that the Covid-19 vaccines continue to provide excellent protection against severe disease, the data suggest there may be decreased protection against the Delta variant.
There are many people who are fully vaccinated and want to be responsible members of society. They are wondering, what can and should they continue to do? What about getting together with friends, dining indoors, and going to the gym? Can vaccinated grandparents still get together with their unvaccinated grandchildren?
To help answer these questions, we spoke with CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen. Wen is an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She’s also author of a new book, “Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health.”
CNN: How should people be thinking differently about risk given the rise in infections and new research?
Dr. Leana Wen: In terms of processing where we are right now, I think people should keep two things in mind. First, most parts of the United States have substantial or high Covid-19 transmission, as defined by the CDC. We need to think a