As summer winds down, the highly transmissible delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, which is now dominant in the U.S., is prompting questions about everything from when it will be safe to return to work to how to keep children safe in schools.
For many people, summer travel plans are also in limbo.
On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its guidelines for fully vaccinated people, advising that they wear masks indoors in places where there are high or substantial rates of transmission. The counties that meet that criteria make up about two-thirds of the U.S. population, according to a CNBC analysis of the agency’s data.
“We are dealing with a different virus now,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor, said about the delta variant in an interview with NPR on Tuesday.
So is it even safe to travel? The answer completely depends upon your own individual circumstances, including your risk profile and tolerance, Dr. Ashley Lipps, assistant professor in the division of infectious diseases at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells CNBC Make It.