The coronavirus vaccine has been proven highly effective in fighting the virus. As more people are becoming vaccinated, you may be wondering what exactly that means in terms of returning to everyday life.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, received his second dose of the vaccine in January. While he has relaxed some precautions now that he is fully vaccinated, Fauci says he’s far from being back to his pre-pandemic routine. 

Fauci spoke to NBC’s WRC-TV in Washington D.C. about what has changed since getting the vaccine and what precautions he continues to take. 

He wears a mask in public.

Fauci received the Moderna vaccine, which has shown to be 94.1 percent effective in preventing infection after the second dose. Still, the 80-year-old follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations by continuing to wear a mask in public to help stop the spread.

“I have not really changed much in my public health measures that I abide by,” Fauci told WRC-TV.

Those who have received the vaccine are equipped with added protection but should not abandon safety measures like mask-wearing and social distancing.

He sees friends within his “bubble.” 

Fauci says his home life is essentially restricted to spending time with his wife, Christine Grady, a bioethicist. So far, she has received one dose of the vaccine.

He notes they do occasionally have visitors — with precautions in place. 

“If we have someone in the house that would be a non-occupant of the house, it’s somebody that we know has either been vaccinated or tests themselves very, very frequently,” he told WRC-TV. “So, we’re still very careful.”

Just how selective is Fauci about his visitors? Well, he says he has not seen any of his three adult children and will not until they are fully vaccinated.

He orders takeout. 

Dining in restaurants has been deemed risky, even with reduced capacity and distanced tables, due to the lack of air circulation. Still, Fauci says he wants to support local restaurants by ordering his favorite dishes to go.

“We can cook at home every night, but we just go out deliberately to get takeout, at least a few times a week, maybe more,” he said.

Curious about Fauci’s favorite dishes? He and his wife told InStyle their favorite meal is pasta with a glass of wine. Yum! 

He’s staying off airplanes. 

Vacations are at the top of most people’s post-pandemic bucket lists, but Fauci says he’s holding off on flying for “a number of reasons.”

“I’m at the age that is still at a pretty high risk,” he said. Fauci added that resuming travel is “not going to be like a light switch that you turn on and off.” 

He’s looking forward to brighter days.

Like most people, Fauci is holding out hope that life will return to normal sooner than later. He says if there’s an umbrella herd immunity by fall, it will be safe for people to visit restaurants, movie theaters, and sports venues once again.

What are you most looking forward to doing again? Tell us in the comments!