Chasing Life

 

Last year, many of us -- myself included -- spent the holidays separated from family. This year, I’m excited to see faces of friends and loved ones that I haven’t been able to see in a while.   But we can’t forget that Covid-19 is still in our shadows. The daily case rate in the US is about half of what it was at this time last year. But in many parts of the country, cases are rising. The current national pace -- about 95,000 new Covid-19 cases each day -- is up 9% from just a week ago.   Cases dropped off quickly at the tail end of the summer surge, but have started to climb again over the past couple weeks and are now back to levels last seen in August.   Nearly a third of new cases are in Midwestern states, with Michigan and Minnesota reporting more cases per capita than any other states. But the trend is nationwide; 26 states saw cases rise over the past week, JHU data shows.   So what does this mean for gathering this year?   As Dr. Anthony Fauci said on CNN on Sunday, if you and your family members are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, it’s OK to ditch your masks.   "That's what I'm going to do with my family," Fauci told my colleague Dana Bash on CNN’s "State of the Union."   But, if you are traveling or are unaware of the vaccination status of the people around you, then you should wear a mask in those situations.   And remember, while kids ages 5-12 recently became eligible for their first shots, they won’t be considered fully protected until two weeks after their second shot. For many kids who just got their first doses, that means they won’t be considered fully vaccinated until mid-December.   You can also add another layer of protection by having everyone test before you gather, but as Fauci says, testing doesn’t replace vaccination. "Get tested if you need to get tested when you're getting together, but that's not a substitute for getting vaccinated. Get yourself vaccinated and you can continue to enjoy interactions with your family and others."   I’m looking forward to gathering again as a family. I’m thankful for the chance to see family again, and for the vaccines that allow us to be able to do so.