My life won’t change much until son gets his vaccine which might be a few months yet. Then I want to head up to Seattle to see him and maybe bring him back for a visit. Not sure if or when he might be willing to fly. He has expressed interest in the train but he’s ultra cautious- works from home - but who knows. It’s been since Thanksgiving 2019.
Otherwise I hope husband and I can start dining out some - they are completely set up for outdoor dining here in San Diego. I doubt I would eat indoors this year. We will be two weeks past vaccines by mid-March and I’d like to get a few meals out before Passover starts. My husband has been doing most of the grocery shopping (he goes whether or not I do) so probably won’t go much more often, although perhaps to a few different stores.
My friends will also be max immune by mid-March so perhaps we can start meeting for outdoor lunches or Happy Hour. But some of them already have travel plans that they’ve postponed for a year.
I admit I have a strong urge to go to HomeGoods just to wander the aisles and drool over the displays. It’s certainly as big and open as the grocery store. But it wasn’t essential so haven’t been. I still would avoid small closed in stores.
Husband will be going back to his gym. He’s gained weight since his late spring shoulder surgery and gyms shut down. His gym is mostly outside.
I might consider flying (while wearing a n-95 mask) to visit my daughter & new grand babies instead of doing a grueling 12 hours drive.
I might consider doing outdoor dining w/ friends dining once the weather warms up. But I don’t think I’m going to do indoor dining for a while. It’s going to months or maybe years to get everyone vaccinated. Plus I’m sure there will be new variants popping up that the vaccine are less than efficacious for.
And I need to see several medical specialists–not for anything urgent but for routine, non-serious issues–and I will feel more comfortable about scheduling those visits.
I will be vaccinated in the last possible group. Under 60, no known health issues, current job is quite amenable to WFH. But I will be wearing a mask when in close proximity to others until the guidelines say it will not necessary. Keeping my fingers crossed that my Mr. who is a few month short of that magical age will get his shot soon. He can’t WFH, and I worry about him. I do not think we will be doing any cruising, wild partying, bar hopping, or conventions even when fully vaccinated- because we are not into that kind of stuff. But we are looking forward to the large professional conference we like to attend which only happens once in 5 years.
So far, the Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna, and J&J vaccines in trials have been found to greatly reduce symptomatic cases, even more greatly reduce severe cases (needing hospitalization), and eliminate deaths from COVID-19. However, asymptomatic case frequency and contagiousness have not been checked in the trials.
If getting fully vaccinated before everyone who wants the vaccine can be fully vaccinated. In this case, it means being able to have private gatherings in private locations with other fully vaccinated people (e.g. elderly relatives who are getting the vaccine earlier). It also means being able to be less paranoid about grocery shopping or other situations that involve COVID-19 risk. But will continue to social distance and mask as needed in public locations.
Same as case 1, but if the vaccine is found to eliminate (or close to eliminate) asymptomatic transmission, then the aforementioned private gatherings in private locations may be able to add one unvaccinated household along with everyone else being fully vaccinated.
After everyone who wants the vaccine is fully vaccinated, I expect most things (work, restaurants, etc.) will try to go back to normal (although greater acceptance of remote work may result), and everyone who is fully vaccinated will go back to normal (although I expect it will be very difficult for those medically unable to get the vaccines, since there is unlikely to be herd immunity due to substantial numbers of vaccine refusers).
Me three. I miss my professional conferences. All were cancelled in 2020, and it looks like all will be cancelled in 2021. My professional association has one conference in July and one in November.
I will get my second dose on Feb 20 (if everything goes well). My mother and I will be going down to TX to see my brother and NC to see my sister in March. She has not seen them for over a year. My mother will start up her mahjong club again. I probably will go out to eat more often and see my kids more.
I’m going to travel to see my kids & grandson. I just got dose #1 today – so early March for dose #2, and by mid-March I should be safe to go. I can book a flight, hang out at the airport waiting for the plane, etc. - and don’t have to worry that I’m going to get sick. Also, I can resume in-person socializing with my local friends – some of them have been having get-togethers for outdoor walks or dining, but I was uncomfortable because many don’t seem to understand how masks work – and I haven’t eaten at a restaurant (inside or out) for almost a year now. And when the local gym reopens I’ll be able to exercise again - that’s another place I felt uncomfortable because of behavior of others around mask-wearing.
I am part of the Astra Zeneca trial and I am pretty sure that I did get it. I should be able to unblinded in the next few weeks. I will go out to eat, socialize with my friends, see my parents, etc. I will still wear a mask when required but between friends and family who have been vaccinated and friends and family who have had covid, my social circle will be much wider!
Even if ‘you’ receive the vaccination and want to resume life as normal, the restrictions on capacity at gyms, restaurants, hair salons, etc., will remain. Here, there is a limit of 25% capacity or a percentage of square feet of the business. Many places have been full with people accepting the risk. If vaccinated people are now wanting to go to those places too, there will be longer lines.
I’m wanting some city facilities like rec centers, museums, libraries to open again but I don’t see that happening until 2022. Many of those places are designed to serve children and children can’t be vaccinated. Last summer was horrible because the pools, schools, boys & girls clubs were not open and the kids had nothing to do.
My wife has been fully vaccinated (two doses). The only side effect is that she was a bit tired for a couple of days. There has been no change at all in her routine that I can see.
Once I am vaccinated, I expect that we will return to eating out. We stopped eating out with the recent surge because I wanted to be cautious about avoiding COVID until I could get vaccinated.
I do agree with the point that things will likely change more after everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be. I will continue with masks and social distancing until this happens. I do not want to spread this to someone else who has not had the opportunity to get vaccinated.
Both husband and I have had both doses; we are medical and work daily in clinics. The only changes we will make is to maybe fly to see D, SIL and GD as it is too far to drive. We have a flight booked for mid March as GD’s daycare is closed for the week for spring break, and D could use a hand while she and SIL are work from home. Assuming we are comfortable in flying then, we will go.
Our immediately family (all over 65) have all had, or will be getting their second dose by next week. We still don’t have plans to get together; waiting for more reports on what the vaccine is really doing in terms of the spread of the virus. We will resume our family dinners as soon as we can.
First dose today for spouse and myself. Since our kids won’t be vaccinated until summer, our behavior won’t change. The two things I would do once fully vaccinated though are fly with S21 masked up to see his top two colleges and fly to see my elderly father (who has gotten his first shot).
My spouse and I are both fully vaccinated (healthcare). My 80+ mom has received one vaccine. I am looking forward to visiting her (masks on, of course) two weeks after her second dose.
H gets his first shot today! I have registered with the county but have not heard yet…
I will not fly until I am fully vaccinated. H’s niece has rescheduled her wedding from last June until this June. I expect to be fully vaccinated by then but if not, I will not attend.
We will continue with the mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing. I look forward to having small social events such as having another (fully vaccinated) couple over for dinner. We will also eat in restaurants if social distance/masking rules are followed.
After I am fully vaccinated I will feel comfortable to return to outside group runs with my running club (all group runs/events are currently suspended) but I don’t plan to return to in-person yoga until the studio is fully open and zoom classes are no longer available.
Once vaccinated we will fly again and eat indoors at restaurants again. Those are the only changes I see but we have not been nearly as cautious as many of you. I am hoping my H (66 with a heart condition) gets his first shot this month or early next. I’m probably not until April or later.
Family visits won’t change much since we really haven’t been restricting ourselves. We still see family regularly and none of us wear masks around family.
We have two vacations planned right now. The first one is in March and we will drive and only do outdoor dining or eat in our condo. The second is in August and we plan to fly and be completely back to a normal level of activity by then.
Work conferences are a big part of my professional life. I actually have an in-person one on my calendar for June. I expect it to go virtual but people are trying to schedule these things again.
But we are looking forward to the large professional conference we like to attend which only happens once in 5 years.