Today the Masks Can Come Off

So the long-awaited day has arrived. This afternoon, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the CDC, proclaimed that “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities – large or small — without wearing a mask or physically distancing.” This is obviously welcome news to everyone, and should be celebrated. I’ll be doing so with a glass of Maker’s Mark this evening.

But if we really want to make this milestone stick, and not have to go back, this should serve as an incentive for those who are still hesitating to please get vaccinated. The goal as I heard it this afternoon is 70% by July 4. The other very interesting news was from Dr. Anthony Fauci, who brought up the possibility of a nanoparticle-based universal vaccine directed against a conserved region of the receptor binding domain of the CoV spike protein. If that worked, then we possibly wouldn’t have to get annual shots like we do with the flu.

In the meantime, if stores still ask you to wear a mask, please just comply. We have a new opportunity to not only return to normal activities, but to return to civility. What do we do with all the masks we have? I would say let’s keep them and when we do get sick with the flu or a cold, wear them again, so we don’t give that to others. I think we at least learned that from our experience this year.