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The pandemic isn’t over for those who could get the sickest from COVID. Here are some ways you can show up for them:

“SO MANY PEOPLE have celebrated going back to normal after COVID restrictions lifted, but did you know that a lot of us are still on lockdown in many ways? As many as 7 million people in the United States are at high risk of COVID complications due to health conditions, age, and other factors and that can be really tricky to navigate as everyone else leaves pandemic restrictions behind. Although vaccines are important, they haven’t been proven to provide us with protection against severe COVID illness and long-term COVID effects, leaving us out here, still vulnerable. Here’s what I want you to know about how to be an ally to those who are still vulnerable.

I’ll be honest with you. It’s been difficult to watch others dive back into life with the joy and abandonment of dolphins playing in the surf. I have FOMO. There’s nothing I’d rather do than hug the people I love and take off my mask. But that’s actually even riskier now that so few people are being careful. I know that you don’t mean to exclude me—in fact, you may not even know that you are. Outside of chronic illness and disability communities, there’s very little mainstream conversation about the ongoing risk of COVID to vulnerable communities. More than that, no one is giving you any guidance on how to be respectful of different needs so you and your environment are more inclusive.

Let’s change that. Here are 10 actions you can take to support people who are still vulnerable to COVID:”

Read my HealthCentral column on how you can help people who are high-risk still participate in the community.