After more than a year of closely monitoring our social "bubble" it might be time to expand our friend groups, but what's the best way to go about it?
Some people remain wary about mixing with others – and with good reason.
"Especially since the vaccination is still an experimental treatment that got emergency use authorization and nobody is really required to tell other people if they’ve been vaccinated or not," said Dr. Margaret Clark, psychology professor and director of the Clark Relationship Science Laboratory at Yale University.
After quickly changing daily routines and adjusting buying habits in March 2020, many Americans have been slow to get back to stores, restaurants and entertainment venues as they reopen. "It’s what you’re comfortable with," Dr. Clark said. "You don’t have to go in the store. You can still order things online."
"If they’re anxious, why not? It doesn’t hurt," she added.
Handshakes and high-fives used to be commonplace. Will those continue to be things you do with those closest to you in a post-pandemic world?
Risk tolerance is at the heart of the issue.
"If the friend is vaccinated…the chances of that person contracting it from whoever they hang out with and transmitting it to you is dropped dramatically," Dr. Clark explained on KCBS Radio's "Ask An Expert" on Tuesday. "The more information about these vaccines that has come out the more reassuring they really do look."
Beyond bumping elbows, hugging takes contact to another level.
"Even before the pandemic, it’s probably not wise to hug a person that if you don’t know they feel comfortable being hugged anyway.
"If you’re in doubt, don’t do it," Dr. Clark added.
