by Barbara Nevins Taylor

When will it end?  I admit it: I am weary of hiding from COVID and I’m struggling like millions of others to see the sunny side.  I feel lucky that my husband Nick and I got the second shot.  We want the bells to ring and the sun to shine and the world to turn and a great new day to begin.  

We want to expand our lives and love New York to the fullest.  We want to travel again, visit beautiful places and eat delicious food with friends in restaurants. The IFC movie theater around the corner is re-opening. Lincoln Center plans outdoor events. Indoor dining in New York is back at 35 percent capacity.  You can catch the Knicks and Nets in person.  Dare we indulge? 

We haven’t had a meal inside or on the street outside a restaurant since the beginning of March 2020. We see friends and family only on Zoom and FaceTime. I teach and interact with my students and colleagues on Zoom.  I’ve added a few things that some might consider dangerous. I ride the subway to Chinatown for a one-on-one Tai Chi class.  I get my hair done, and go to a salon for pedicures.  I wash my hands so many times a day that manicures seem useless. 

Nick plays tennis a couple of times a week and rides the subway.  We shop at our local markets and delis.  We pick up meals or have them delivered.  But that’s it. 

So it’s two weeks and counting since we got the second shot.  Now what? The vaccine should have  kicked in to protect us against COVID, but the new variants seem scary.  In January at a CNN town hall, Dr. Fauci said the CDC was likely to come up with new guidance on what people who received the second shot could do. 

“It is not a good idea to travel. Period.  We don’t want people to think that other public health recommendations don’t apply,” Dr. Fauci said. He went on to say,  
“Getting vaccinated does not say, now I have a free pass to travel. Nor does it say that I have a free pass to put aside all of the public health measures that we talk about all of the time.”

Here’s why. The vaccines are not 100 percent effective.  The Pfizer vaccine is 95 percent effective. Modern 94. 5 percent and Johnson & Johnson, 85 percent effective.  The risk of getting the virus is small, but it is still possible to get sick.  That means if you are older or are in a high-risk group, the all-clear hasn’t sounded yet.

The CDC tells us to proceed with caution.

This is from the CDC website:

“Even after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, you should still:

Wear a well-fitting mask that covers your nose and mouth when around others
Stay at least 6 feet away from others
Avoid crowds
Avoid poorly ventilated spaces
Wash your hands often.”

We can do all that.  But we want to do so much more.