World Class Hugs

By Rachel Puryear, Hugging Connoissuer

If you’re at all like me, you’ve been wondering when it will be safe to hug others as more covid vaccines have been distributed, and who can hug each other safely. I’ve got you covered! Here’s the scoop, with guidelines from the CDC:

First, what does it mean for a person to be “fully vaccinated”? This is important, because “fully vaccinated” status means a person can do key things that they could not do before. “Fully vaccinated” means that a person has had all needed doses of the vaccine (2 for Moderna and Pfizer, and 1 for Johnson), AND that two weeks have also passed since their final dose.

Once you are fully vaccinated, you have virtually no risk of serious illness or complications from Covid, even though there is still a small risk of minor illness. Considering many deaths and serious illnesses have occurred from Covid already, a small risk of only minor illness is something we can all live with.

Furthermore, health officials in the U.S. are continuing to monitor Covid variants. Fortunately, so far, they are finding that all of the vaccines are also protective against all of the variants.

However, be cautioned that even if one person is fully vaccinated, that person can still infect another person who is not yet vaccinated. Vaccination protects against serious illness, but does not necessarily prevent the spread of Covid.

However, where two people have both been fully vaccinated, there is almost no risk of either of them infecting the other.

Accordingly, the CDC recommends that:

• People who have been vaccinated visit only with unvaccinated people from a single household, and where the unvaccinated people are at low risk; where the visits are indoors and without masks and physical distancing.
• Where visits are between vaccinated people and unvaccinated people from multiple households; or between vaccinated people and unvaccinated people at high risk for serious complications, precautions including masks and physical distancing should be used.
• Medium and large size gatherings (more than about 10 people) should still be avoided by all. Travel should also still be delayed.
• Regular precautions including masks and social distancing should also be taken in public places.

Therefore, it appears that people can hug where everyone involved is vaccinated. It also appears that where someone is vaccinated, they may hug people from a single household who are unvaccinated, where the unvaccinated people are at a low risk for serious complications from Covid. However, hugging people unvaccinated people from different households, or hugging people who are unvaccinated and who are at high risk for serious complications from Covid; should still wait, or at least wear mutual masks and practice good hygiene.

Can’t wait until I can hug all of my friends. But in the meantime, to protect others, I’ll go along with the CDC guidelines. Much love. ❤ xoxo