But its not all bad news.

So, where does all of this leave us during fall and winter?

How will this holiday season be similar or different to last year’s?

Young woman shielding eyes while standing by large green coronaviruses

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Heres where they see hope, and where we may still struggle.

What should we expect over the coming months with this pandemic?

How will this fall/winter be similar or different to last fall/winter?

:It’s really hard to say.

We can’t really rely on those same kinds of things this year.

We know thatvariants emergein the context of an under-vaccinated population.

Delta started in India, where there were hardly any vaccines.

So we risk the emergence of new variants the longer we go with this under-vaccinated population.

E.M.:We definitely should be thinking about a lot of the same precautions as last winter.

And if they are infected that they’re less likely to transmit to other people.

As the holidays approach, what kind of precautions should people consider for gatherings?

E.M.:The first thing is: What is people’s vaccination status?

For a gathering where everyone’s vaccinated, things are looking better than last year.

Where there’s even one unvaccinated person, things are a little bit more gray.

At the gathering itself, we want to think about, can we be outside?

Can we open windows or doors just to get some airflow increased?

Can we have fewer people crowded into one space?

Those kinds of things are great for the day of.

Beforehand, can people who are going to attend do some kind of two-week quarantine?

:For my family, we have chosen to not travel this holiday season.

If you’re going to travel,ensure that you’re vaccinated.

I think that unvaccinated people should not be going on planes.

If you’re going to travel, keep your risk very low before you arrive and when you arrive.

You just don’t want to risk anything bad happening to you or the people around you.

How does that factor into holiday plans?

Otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend testing unless you are having symptoms.

I think some of these tests just give a false sense of security to people.

E.M.:The rapid test, if that’s negative, you’re probably not actively infectious right now.

And for the next few hours you’re probably safe for the people around you.

The rapid test is just giving you a little snapshot in time.

And maybe a rapid test kind of before the event, just as an extra cherry on top.

What else are you concerned about this coming winter?

:I would recommend people toget the flu shot.

We don’t want cases to increase in the hospital because we’ll be seeing co-infection with COVID.

:Flu shots are important right now.

If people are wondering if they have to get one or the other,the answer is both.

I wouldn’t even worry about spacing them out much.

Why are vaccinated kids a key part of managing the pandemic?

E.M.:Unvaccinated people still spread delta really easily.

And that includes kids.

:When we talk about protecting our entire community, kids are part of that.

It is very difficult to operate with this population continuing to be unvaccinated.

We know that in a number of places, pediatric cases are spiking.

It showed extremely high neutralizing antibodies, similar to those who received the adult dose.

I don’t know if we will see them at supermarkets.

It’s happening in a lot of places already.

Do you expect more hospitals to go into crisis mode?

How should that impact people’s choices about socializing during the fall/winter?

But delta is roughly twice as infectious as the previous variants.

If we can get everybody vaccinated rapidly, then maybe we don’t need to worry about it.

J.M.R.:Yeah.

I mean, we’ve already seen policies enacted in places likeIdahoand other states.

Do you think boosters for the general population are likelyor wise?

I think it’s important for people to know that the FDA continues to review the data.

And I think boosters for the general population are likely to happen.

It will be just a matter of when.

I think this goes back to a broader global equity issue.

We need to focus on vaccinating the unvaccinated because that’s where the vulnerabilities lie in our communities.

This is a global pandemic.

We have to have a global response.

Are we at a point in this pandemic where vaccinated people should just accept that theyll catch COVID?

We still have a lot of tools that work really well.

And now we have also vaccines.

We should be able to keep the virus under control.

A large chunk of that group is children.

It’s your kid.

:I think COVID-19 happens in a small proportion of fully vaccinated people, even with the delta variant.

When those infections occur among vaccinated people, they tend to be mild.

:It’s not just about you, right?

You could still potentially get the virus while vaccinated and still potentially spread it to others.

Others around you may not be vaccinated and they could have really, really horrible outcomes.

For people who are not vaccinated yet, what message would you send to them?

And unfortunately it’s not just about you.

Delta is extremely transmissible.

So just keep an open mind.

Our only goal is to keep you, your family, and your communities safe.

Quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.