Don’t let down your guard during the COVID-19 pandemic

"People seem to be decreasing travel. More folks are wearing masks. They're following that hand, space, and vaccinate paradigm," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "And it's working."

But he warns that this is not the time to let down your guard during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Poland says there are three COVID-19 vaccines and receiving whichever one is available to you, is the way out of this pandemic. He also reminds people to continue wearing masks, even after being vaccinated for COVID-19.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland answers more questions from listeners, including concerns about persistent post-COVID-19 symptoms following COVID-19, whether a COVID-19 vaccination is needed after having COVID-19, and if COVID-19 vaccines will become seasonal like the flu vaccine.

To practice safe social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, this interview was conducted using video conferencing. The sound and video quality are representative of the technology used. For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

Read the full transcript.

Connect with others talking about the pandemic and supporting one another in the COVID-19 support group.

Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date.

For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

Dr. Poland has served as a consultant for Merck & Co. Inc., Medicago Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Sanofi Pasteur, Emergent BioSolutions Inc., Dynavax Technologies Corp., Genentech Inc., Eli Lilly and Co., Kentucky BioProcessing Inc. and Genevant Sciences Corp., and Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. He is a paid scientific adviser for Johnson & Johnson. Honoraria: Elsevier.