Returning to Normalcy Isn’t Easy for Some Americans

For the first time in more than a year, millions of Americans are able to gather without physical distancing or masks, safely. However, many Americans are yet to be fully vaccinated, leading to concerns of another potential spike in coronavirus cases. While almost all reported deaths have been among those with preexisting conditions and the elderly, COVID-19 has killed more children in comparison to the flu this past year, according to the CDC. 

So, although fully vaccinated Americans can partake in close gatherings without marks, others are having a challenging time returning to normalcy. 

“Covid has really changed our lives,” clinical psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere said. “Whether it’s someone they know that has Covid or someone that they know that died, or friends who talked about it or just seeing it in the media, all of those things caused everyone some sort of trauma,” he added.

Healthy people who have both their COVID-19 vaccine doses “should feel very well protected,” says Dr. Leana Wen. However, the risk of getting infected at large gatherings remains high for those who have not yet been inoculated. “We do have more transmissible variants, and unfortunately those individuals who don’t have immunity are not protected from these variants that can wreak a lot of havoc,” Wen said.

The World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is of the opinion that a lot of work still needs to be done in order to bring an end to the pandemic. “We’re very encouraged that cases and deaths are continuing to decline globally, but it would be a monumental error for any country to think the danger has passed,” he said.