Hello and welcome to the Oster Home Update, COVID-19, a weekly podcast on the COVID-19

pandemic with Dr. Michael Oster Home. Dr. Oster Home is an internationally recognized

medical detective and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy

or CITRAP at the University of Minnesota. In this podcast, Dr. Oster Home will draw on

more than 45 years of experience investigating infectious disease outbreaks to provide

straight talk on the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm Chris Doll, reporter for CITRAP News. I'm your

host for these conversations.

It's May 20th and while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage in many countries around the world

and the spectre of new coronavirus variants remains a threat, the United States is moving

quickly toward the next stage of its pandemic future. Perhaps more quickly than many people were

expecting or prepared for. Although the country is still averaging more than 30,000 new COVID-19 cases

a day, infections have been rapidly declining as more and more people get vaccinated. And last week,

the announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that fully vaccinated people no

longer have to wear masks in most situations, enhanced the feeling that for many, the end of the

pandemic is near. But that announcement from the CDC, celebrated by some, criticized by others,

also raised a host of questions. Is it too soon to start ditching our masks? How do we know who

is and isn't vaccinated? How do local officials and businesses enforce mask mandates and distancing

measures for the unvaccinated? What about the immunocompromised for home vaccines may not provide

full protection or children under 12 who are yet eligible for vaccination?

On this episode of the OSTRAM update, we're going to talk about the CDC's new guidance for

vaccinated Americans, the criticism and what it all means for the future. We'll also take a quick

look at the national international situation and share a story about love and loss during the

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