This past year has been very hectic to say the least.

With such a complex situation the Coronavirus has brought upon us, the most important aspect to achieving a sense of normalcy must be clarity.

Unfortunately, it seems as if the very fabric of clarity has been tossed to the side, and with it, the fabric of masks as well.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a new statement regarding the suggested guidelines for those who have received all the necessary vaccination doses required to be considered “fully vaccinated”.

It is important to note, part of being “fully vaccinated” occurs after the two week period after the shot. It takes this time for your body to create productive antibodies.

The CDC’s new guideline reads “Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”

I know these seem to be words all have been desperate to hear for what seems like an eternity now, but this is not at all a declaration that covid is over.

This guideline specifically speaks only to those who are fully vaccinated and have less of a chance of the virus seriously affecting them. Granted, this statement by the CDC was very confusing considering the timing of this announcement, it does in fact speak to those who have received the vaccination and waited two weeks for it to fully come into effect.

This seems to be yet another example of why this pandemic has continued to cause so much damage. There has been tons of misinformation, and as a result, a lot of truth that has been lost in translation.

The fact of the matter is, other than a couple of Grey’s Anatomy episodes, we, the general public, have absolutely no idea about the world of medicine, let alone a deadly infectious disease or the relatively new problems it brings.

It is not just the job of these experts to keep the public informed but their obligation, considering they are privileged enough to receive all the information known about this virus. It is not charity to provide clarity.

If there are any misunderstandings at all, it is their job to clear them up. Not your crazy uncle on Facebook, but these professionals who make a living off of studying infectious diseases.

To put it in analogical terms, we are currently the children in daycare. When the teacher announces they will briefly depart from the classroom, and gives little to no direction as to what the children should do, or who is in charge–chaos is expected. And that is exactly what is happening right now.
While a lack of clarity from the top of the informative covid totem pole is a problem, the blame should not be exclusively placed on the experts.

It is important that we follow the instructions of professionals, because after all, they have studied their entire lives to help others be safe.

This idea that we know more than actual infectious disease experts is ludicrous, and as you spread more of your misguided beliefs, it affects the health and well-being of everyone.

The same sort of selfish behavior can be attributed to those who pose as vaccinated individuals so they do not have to follow unvaccinated rules.

Even if you are sick of this pandemic, the idea of impersonating a vaccinated individual just so you can be maskless indoors will only prolong the actual ending of this nightmare. A rebellious spirit will only increase the long term frustration you feel, along with the anger everyone else who must endure such behaviors will feel, as we attempt to reach a sense of normalcy.

Through all the different media outlets, contradictory guidelines, and conspiracy theories, it seems that the right thing to do is becoming an obsolete goal. But the truth is, we know what to do because we have been through this for a year now.

Cooperate and everything can resume to some sense of normalcy. Wear masks when a business requests it, because it is up to them, and when restrictions are eased you can begin to let up.

You cannot be upset with such guidelines isolating unvaccinated people, because those who got vaccinated were rewarded with eased restrictions. That was the intent behind receiving it in the first place.

No one is forcing you to do anything, but you cannot be upset when you are not allowed to do certain vaccinated things. That is the reality of the situation.

This half and half execution by the people in this nation will only unravel the progress we have made the past year. We must all be on the same page, and medical professionals, media outlets, and even the CDC need to disseminate facts–there is no room for secrets or miscommunication, this is the time for clarity.