As a large portion of the population waits to get vaccinated and questions arise around asymptomatic spread, immunized Americans wonder: Is it safe to leave the house and live a pre-pandemic lifestyle? Not just yet, experts say.

Data shows small gatherings drive transmission as people tend to relax safety precautions – such as masking and social distancing – around close friends and family, said Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.