Sharing a hug can benefit us in ways that are both emotional and physical, which is why it’s natural to want to connect through touch. When mothers see their children, it triggers the release of the neurochemical oxytocin, the so-called bonding hormone. “The body can have a similar response with hugging — it gets all the feeling-good hormones flowing,” says Neysa Ernst, RN, the nurse manager of the Johns Hopkins Biocontainment Unit in Baltimore, a state-of-the-art facility designed to care for patients affected by high-consequence infectious diseases such as COVID-19. The question remains: Is it safe to embrace someone outside of your household if everyone’s been vaccinated against COVID-19? What if they’re vaccinated but you’re not? “For those of us in healthcare, telling people to avoid close contact with others has been difficult and even feels downright unnatural,” says Paul Pottinger, MD, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. “I’m a big fan of hugs, and I hate telling people that they need to give each other space, but frankly, it does save lives in the time of COVID-19,” he says. That said, the rise of highly effective COVID-19 vaccines means that certain hugging scenarios may be okay. Here are some expert suggestions to common hugging questions to help you navigate the risks and benefits as we begin to hug again during this phase of the pandemic. Keep in mind that the research and recommendations from the medical community are constantly evolving, so if you have any specific concerns, it’s best to speak to your own doctor. RELATED: Coronavirus Alert: The Latest News, Data, and Expert Insights on the COVID-19 Pandemic
Is it safe for two vaccinated people to hug?
Before the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines, infectious disease experts considered hugs between people living in different households to be risky. But vaccines have changed the game. “Hugs between two people are fine provided everyone is feeling well and is immunized,” says Dr. Pottinger. Hugs between two vaccinated people should be “pretty safe,” Ernst agrees, especially if the vaccinated person is someone in your “bubble,” or circle of friends. “It’s definitely much less risky than a hug between someone who is vaccinated and someone who is not,” she adds. A bit more dicey: Going up and hugging someone you haven’t seen during the entire pandemic, even if you think they’ve had the vaccine and you have as well. “Not a good idea,” Ernst warns. In other words, make sure you have all your information, and proceed slowly. In this scenario, “the chance of spreading COVID-19 from one person to the next would be very small,” he says. The reason to stay masked is because vaccines, while very effective, are not perfect. By both people wearing masks — the person vaccinated and the person not vaccinated — you further reduce any potential risk. RELATED: What You Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines
What if the person I want to hug is at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19?
Good news here: “If both people are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, I think this scenario is very low risk,” says Pottinger. On the other hand, “if someone does have health concerns and is immunized but the would-be hugger is not yet immunized, that seems to me to be a comparatively unsafe situation,” says Pottinger. Indeed, guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that a vaccinated person visiting unvaccinated people from a household that has individuals at risk for severe COVID-19 should take precautions, including wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, and visiting outdoors or in a well-ventilated space. In other words, follow the same practices we’ve become accustomed to during this past year-and-a-half.
What if one person is fully vaccinated and the other person has received only one dose of a two-dose series?
It’s best for both people to be fully immunized, but even if you’re not all the way there (i.e., you’re still due for a second shot, or it hasn’t been two weeks since your second shot), you will be safer than before if you decide to hug. A single dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was found to be about 80 percent effective in preventing infections; the protective effect jumped to about 90 percent when a person was fully vaccinated, according to a CDC study. “Hugging someone who has gone two full weeks after one dose of [the Pfizer or Moderna] vaccines is much safer than if someone has no vaccine in their system,” says Pottinger. Diving in with only half a vaccination series still sound anxiety provoking? Stick with masks and keep on social distancing. RELATED: Vaccinated Against COVID-19 but Still Anxious? You’re Not Alone
Are long bear hugs okay?
This one is a bit tricky. “We don’t have the strongest numerical guidance to say whether a bear hug is riskier than a patting hug or whether a kiss on the cheek is okay,” Pottinger says. “What one person feels is safe might feel too risky to another, so we need to respect everyone’s individual choices,” he says. What is clear: Brevity is best, even between vaccinated people, says Pottinger. When it doubt, or if you really want to give someone a mega-squeeze, wear a mask. By now it’s clear that the virus spreads from person to person from the mouth and nose (via droplets and aerosolized particles) almost exclusively, and that face coverings — when worn correctly over the nose and mouth — work. “When both people are wearing masks, the chances of viral particles spreading from one person to the next is dramatically reduced,” says Pottinger. RELATED: The Latest Intel on Face Masks and the Coronavirus
What about hugs and kisses between vaccinated adults and unvaccinated kids?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, if a child’s grandparents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it is “probably safe to let the hugs begin,” provided everyone is symptom-free and washing their hands properly, according to Pottinger. That doesn’t mean you should be hugging mask-free. “In my opinion, the hugs between unvaccinated children and grandchildren and any vaccinated adult outside of their household should be masked hugs,” Pottinger says. “That’s a small price to pay to bring joy to a grandparent’s life — doing the hugging safely.” The consequences of dropping the mask and hugging an unvaccinated person (even a grandchild) can go beyond one person getting COVID-19. “I would never want to saddle a young person with the burden of knowing they might have spread a potentially deadly infection to their grandparent,” says Pottinger. Ernst agrees with that cautious approach: “I’m hesitant right now to send a message to the public that if Johnny hasn’t had his vaccine but Aunt Mabel has, it’s okay if she hugs him for a second,” says Ernst. The challenge, of course, is that in the real world, rules like “keep hugs quick” can be hard to stick with.
Hugging aside, how safe is it to socialize indoors with masks off if not everyone is vaccinated?
Pottinger says this would be risky. “The worst thing you could do would be to visit an un-immunized person when you’re not feeling well [or have an unrecognized asymptomatic infection], then spend a lot of time face-to-face with them with no mask on while indoors. That,” he says bluntly, “would be a disaster.” Luckily, as the weather turns warmer, more socializing — and hugging — can take place outdoors. “I do think that being outdoors, giving someone 6 real feet of personal space and socializing with masks off is a relatively safe situation,” says Pottinger. “You can never say never, but it’s extraordinarily unlikely for an asymptomatic person to transmit the virus in that situation.”
What if someone wants to hug, rules be damned?
There’s a tremendous amount of pandemic fatigue right now, so it’s understandable that once in a while, you (or someone you know) might feel like throwing caution to the wind. That goes for hugging, too. “There are people who view things like giving hugs as a form of rebellion,” says Ernst. She advises standing your ground, however tempting it might be to get close. “I back away and say, ‘No, you’re not going to hug me. That might be your rebellion, but it’s not mine,’” says Ernst. Ultimately, we will all need to balance the risks, benefits, and our own comfort level when deciding what kind of physical contact we want to engage in now, including hugging. It may make sense to talk to friends or a partner before social activities to define that line for yourself and help everyone feel more connected, whether you opt to hug or not. RELATED: How to Not Let Pandemic Fatigue Turn Into Pandemic Burnout
