according to dr. vinita dubey, associate medical officer of health at
toronto public health
, unvaccinated people in the pre-symptomatic or symptomatic stages of covid-19 present a risk to others. they also experience a much greater risk of infection and severe outcomes. getting a double dose of the vaccine can help lessen severe illness, and protect those who are unable to be vaccinated, including those who are immunocompromised and kids under the age of 12 who are not yet eligible for a vaccine, suggests dubey.
if your unvaccinated mother-in-law is invited to participate in a family celebration, you have to decide if you’re comfortable with the risks, and if so, there might be a way to handle that without the added stress or drama.
when interacting with those who are unvaccinated, dubey recommends public health measures that can help prevent covid-19. this includes staying home when sick, practicing physical distancing and wearing a mask when physical distancing is not possible. it is also recommended to hold gatherings outside, rather than indoors, and limiting the number of people attending.
dubey warns that covid-19 can be spread through aerosols, which are tiny droplets that can stay in the air, especially when there is poor airflow or ventilation and a higher number of people crammed indoors for an extended period of time. she also suggests that in an indoor environment, transmission as a result of the delta variant may occur quickly between an infected person and many others, especially among the unvaccinated.