Coronavirus
Technology Solutions
Oregon Indefinite Mask
Requirement is
Subject of
Debate
Poorly Fitting N95 Mask No Better
than a Cloth
Mask
Consumers
Reports
Advising People
to Wear
Efficient Tight
Fitting Masks
When will
Vaccinations
Make It Safe Not
to Wear Masks?
Concern About Mutations and a New
Virus Wave
Various Agencies
Require
Unvaccinated
People Wear
Masks
Americans Will
Continue Wearing
Masks Post COVID
____________________________________________________________________________
Oregon Indefinite Mask
Requirement is
Subject of
Debate
As states around
the country lift
COVID-19
restrictions,
Oregon is poised
to go the
opposite
direction — and
many residents
are fuming about
it.
A top health
official is
considering
indefinitely
extending rules
requiring masks
and social
distancing in
all businesses
in the state.
The proposal
would keep the
rules in place
until they are
“no longer
necessary to
address the
effects of the
pandemic in the
workplace.”
Michael Wood,
administrator of
the state’s
Department of
Occupational
Safety and
Health, said the
move is
necessary to
address a
technicality in
state law that
requires a
“permanent” rule
to keep current
restrictions
from expiring.
“We are not out
of the woods
yet,” he said.
But the idea has
prompted a flood
of angry
responses, with
everyone from
parents to
teachers to
business owners
and employees
crying
government
overreach.
Wood’s agency
received a
record number of
public comments,
mostly critical,
and nearly
60,000 residents
signed a
petition against
the proposal.
Opponents also
are upset
government
officials won’t
say how low
Oregon's
COVID-19 case
numbers must go,
or how many
people would
have to be
vaccinated, to
get the
requirements
lifted in a
state that’s
already had some
of the nation’s
strictest safety
measures.
“When will masks
be unnecessary?
What scientific
studies do these
mandates rely
on, particularly
now that the
vaccine is days
away from being
available to
everyone?” said
state Sen. Kim
Thatcher, a
Republican from
Keizer, near the
state’s capital.
“Businesses have
had to play
‘mask cop’ for
the better part
of a year now.
They deserve
some certainty
on when they
will no longer
be threatened
with fines.”
Wood said he is
reviewing all
the feedback to
see if changes
are needed
before he makes
a final decision
by May 4, when
the current
rules lapse.
Oregon, a blue
state, has been
among those with
the country’s
most stringent
COVID-19
restrictions and
now stands in
contrast with
much of the rest
of the nation as
vaccines become
more widely
available.
At least six
states —
Alabama, Iowa,
Mississippi,
Montana, North
Dakota and Texas
— have lifted
mask mandates,
and some never
implemented
them. In Texas,
businesses
reopened at 100%
capacity last
month.
Poorly Fitting N95 Mask No Better
than a Cloth
Mask
Researchers,
from the
University of
Cambridge,
carried out a
series of
different fit
tests, and found
that when a
high-performance
mask – such as
an N95, KN95 or
FFP2 mask – is
not properly
fitted, it
performs no
better than a
cloth mask.
Minor
differences in
facial features,
such as the
amount of fat
under the skin,
make significant
differences in
how well a mask
fits.
The results,
published in the
journal PLoS
ONE, also
suggest that the
fit-check
routine used in
many healthcare
settings has
high failure
rates, as minor
leaks may be
difficult or
impossible to
detect by the
wearer. While
the sample size
was small, the
researchers hope
their findings
will help
develop new fit
tests that are
quick and
reliable, in the
case of future
public health
emergencies. The
current study
only evaluated
the impact of
fit on the
wearer of the
mask – the team
will evaluate
how fit impacts
the protection
of others in
future research.
The COVID-19
pandemic has
made
well-fitting
face masks a
vital piece of
protective
equipment for
healthcare
workers and
civilians. While
the importance
of wearing face
masks in slowing
the spread of
the virus has
been
demonstrated,
there remains a
lack of
understanding
about the role
that good fit
plays in
ensuring their
effectiveness.
“We know that
unless there is
a good seal
between the mask
and the wearer’s
face, many
aerosols and
droplets will
leak through the
top and sides of
the mask, as
many people who
wear glasses
will be well
aware of,” said
Eugenia
O’Kelly from
Cambridge’s
Department of
Engineering, the
paper’s first
author. “We
wanted to
quantitatively
evaluate the
level of fit
offered by
various types of
masks, and most
importantly,
assess the
accuracy of
implementing
fit-checks by
comparing
fit-check
results to
quantitative fit
testing
results.”
For the study,
seven
participants
first evaluated
N95 and KN95
masks by
performing a fit
check, according
to NHS
guidelines.
Participants
then underwent
quantitative fit
testing – which
uses a particle
counter to
measure the
concentration of
particles inside
and outside the
mask – while
wearing N95 and
KN95 masks,
surgical masks,
and fabric
masks. The
results assessed
the protection
to the mask
wearer, which is
important in
clinical
settings.
N95 masks –
which are a
similar standard
to the FFP3
masks available
in the UK and
the rest of
Europe – offered
higher degrees
of protection
than the other
categories of
masks tested;
however, most
N95 masks failed
to fit the
participants
adequately.
In their study,
the researchers
found that when
fitted properly,
N95 masks
filtered more
than 95% of
airborne
particles,
offering
superior
protection.
However, in some
cases,
poorly-fitted
N95 masks were
only comparable
with surgical or
cloth masks.
“It’s not enough
to assume that
any single N95
model will fit
the majority of
a population,”
said O’Kelly.
“The most
widely-fitting
mask we looked
at, the 8511
N95, fit only
three out of the
seven
participants in
our study.”
One observation
the researchers
made during
their study was
the width of the
flange of the
mask - the area
of the material
which comes in
contact with the
skin – may be a
critical feature
to fit. Masks
which fit the
greatest number
of participants
tended to have
wider, more
flexible flanges
around the
border.
In addition,
small facial
differences were
observed to have
a significant
impact on
quantitative
fit. “Fitting
the face
perfectly is a
difficult
technical
challenge and,
as our research
showed, small
differences such
as a centimeter
wider nose or
slightly fuller
cheeks can make
or break the fit
of a mask,” said
O’Kelly.
Self-performed
fit-checks are
attractive
because they
save on time and
resources and
are often the
only method of
fit testing
available.
However, this
study, and
studies of
fit-check
systems in other
countries,
indicate that
such fit-check
systems are not
reliable.
The researchers
hope that their
results will be
of use for those
who are working
on new
technologies and
programs to
assess fit, so
that healthcare
and other
frontline
workers are
adequately
protected in the
case of any
future
pandemics.
Additionally,
they hope these
results will
bring attention
to the
importance of
fit in
clinical-grade
masks,
especially if
such masks are
to be widely
used by the
public.
This study did
not evaluate the
impact of fit on
protecting
others, which is
a future area of
research.
Reference:
Consumers
Reports
Advising People
to Wear
Efficient Tight
Fitting Masks
For almost a
year, many
Americans have
been wearing
cloth face
coverings to
limit the spread
of the
coronavirus—but
without clear
guidelines on
which types or
brands of
consumer masks
are best. That
changed last
month with the
publication of
the first-ever
standard for
“barrier face
coverings,”
created through
ASTM
International,
an organization
that creates
voluntary
performance
standards for
thousands of
consumer
products.
It will take
time for
companies to
start selling
cloth masks
labeled with the
new ASTM
certification,
but
manufacturers
can start taking
advantage of the
standard
immediately.
While surgical
masks, N95
masks, and other
medical-grade
personal
protective
equipment have
long had
established
standards in
place, this new
standard
for everyday
face masks is a
first and is
meant to provide
a benchmark for
both
manufacturers
and the general
public.
Manufacturers
will be
encouraged to
comply with the
standard, and
consumers will
be able to have
confidence in
compliant
products,
knowing that
they are
certified.
The new standard, which applies to face
coverings worn
by the general
public and
workers outside
of healthcare
settings, will
provide
guidelines for
how well masks
should filter
out airborne
particles, as
well as for
their
breathability,
fit, and
labeling. The
standard will
also provide
guidance on
cleaning and how
long masks can
be used.
To meet the
standard,
manufacturers
need to have
their masks
tested by an
independent
third-party lab.
The products
that pass will
be able to note
on their
labeling that
they are
certified as
ASTM-compliant,
which will
signal to
consumers that
those face
coverings have
been vetted.
The standard will be a big help to
consumers, says
Linsey Marr,
PhD, a professor
of civil and
environmental
engineering at
Virginia Tech in
Blacksburg who
studies airborne
viruses.
Currently, “most
people have no
idea what to
look for or how
to judge a mask
when shopping
for one,” she
says. “The No. 1
question I hear
from members of
the general
public
[is], ‘How do I
know this is a
good mask?’ With
the new
standards,
manufacturers
can share their
mask’s
filtration
efficiency, fit,
and
breathability,
and consumers
can easily pick
masks with
higher numbers.”
The lack of an
established
standard for
consumer face
masks “was a gap
that we
recognized back
in the
springtime,”
says Jonathan
Szalajda, deputy
director at the
National
Personal
Protective
Technology
Laboratory at
the National
Institute for
Occupational
Safety and
Health, and
co-chair for the
ASTM working
group that
created the new
standard.
While it would
have been ideal
to have the
standard in
place sooner,
arriving at one
was complicated,
requiring input
from a group of
manufacturers,
government
officials,
academics,
medical experts,
and consumers.
And compared
with the typical
ASTM process,
“this was
lightning-fast,”
Szalajda says.
“It’s been a
Wild West with
regard to these
types of
products, and
there really
needed to be a
baseline
established for
identifying some
minimum level of
performance,” he
says. “We
understand that
not everyone—for
instance, small
sellers—will be
able to meet the
ASTM
requirement, but
the hope is that
this standard
will provide for
better products
in the workplace
and for the
public.”
ASTM came up
with two
classifications
for the mask
standard: a
lower level 1,
which is the
minimum level
required to meet
the ASTM
standard, and a
higher level 2,
for
manufacturers
that want to
produce face
coverings that
go beyond the
ASTM minimum.
Level 1
ASTM-certified
masks will have
to show via
independent
testing that
they can filter
out at least 20
percent of
particles
smaller than a
micron, which is
roughly the size
of the
respiratory
droplets that
generally carry
the coronavirus.
Level 2
ASTM-certified
masks will have
to show that
they filter out
at least 50
percent of these
particles.
By way of
comparison, the
ASTM-certified
masks will be
required to
filter out far
less than an N95
mask but will
still offer much
more protection
than do most
consumer face
coverings
currently on the
market, says
Jose-Luis
Jimenez, PhD,
professor of
chemistry at the
University of
Colorado in
Boulder. Right
now, “I can
guarantee you
that half of
what is sold
doesn’t meet
either level 1
or level 2 of
the new
standard,” says
Jimenez, who
studies
aerosols. “So as
the standard
starts to be
applied,
consumers will
have a way to
choose.”
Marr agrees that
“the new
standards are
very useful, in
that they
address the
three most
important
qualities in a
mask:
filtration, fit,
and
breathability,”
she says. “The
standards for
filtration are a
minimum, and
people will be
able to choose
masks that have
much higher
filtration
efficiencies if
the manufacturer
provides this
information.”
Ultimately,
having the
standard in
place is a win
for consumers
because it
should elevate
the quality of
the face
coverings
available on the
market.
Until
ASTM-compliant
masks are
available,
experts say to
look for
snug-fitting
masks that fully
cover your nose
and mouth, and
that don’t have
valves or vents,
which increase
the risk of you
breathing in
unfiltered air
and breathing it
out, possibly
exposing people
around you. For
more on how to
find and wear a
mask that offers
the best
protection, see
“5 Ways to Upgrade Your Mask.”
When will
Vaccinations
Make It Safe Not
to Wear Masks?
The vaccination
rate is
accelerating but
the States where
vaccination is
low are the same
ones where
people will stay
indoors to keep
cool. This
proved
dangerous last
summer.
Nearly 100
million
Americans are
fully vaccinated
and new
coronavirus
cases are at
their lowest
level since last
October. Could
the vaccination
campaign finally
be winning the
race against the
coronavirus in
the United
States?
That's the big
question the
nation has been
waiting to
answer. While
some researchers
say it's still
too soon to know
for sure, a
growing number
of
epidemiologists,
infectious
disease
researchers and
public health
experts think
the country
might have
reached — or be
about to reach —
that crucial
inflection
point.
"I think we've
hit a tipping
point," says Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean
of the Brown
University
School of Public
Health. "We've
really turned a
corner on this
latest wave. And
I think that the
worst
days of the pandemic really are now
behind us."
Jha and
others base that
conclusion on
several factors.
First of all, a
significant
proportion of
the
U.S. population
— an estimated 34% — already has some
immunity to the
virus from
having been
exposed to the
virus.
Secondly — and
most importantly
— the
vaccination
campaign has now
inoculated a
significant
number of
people. More
than 43% of the
population has
now gotten at
least one shot, and a third are fully
vaccinated. That's
getting very
close to where
other countries,
such as Israel,
started to turn
the corner and
experience a
precipitous drop
in infections.
The combination
of natural
immunity from
people who were
exposed and
vaccination
"means we may be
closer to 60%
population
immunity
already," Jha
says. "That's
why I'm pretty
confident we
have turned the
corner."
And, in fact,
the number of
people getting
infected every
day in the U.S.
has finally
begun to fall
again, after
months of rising
slowly. Over the
past two weeks,
the average
number of new
daily infections
has dropped 27%.
"I do think
we've hit a
turning point,"
says Dr. David Rubin, director
of the PolicyLab
at Children's
Hospital of
Philadelphia.
"We're seeing a
significant,
substantial
decline now. And
we hope it just
deepens over the
next few weeks."
Now, not
everyone is so
optimistic.
Infections are
finally falling
in Michigan. But
the virus is
still spreading
fast there and
in other places,
such as Oregon,
Washington
state, and parts
of Colorado and
Arizona. And
many experts
worry people are
letting their
guard down too
soon.
"Time will
tell," Dr. Thomas Frieden, a former director of
the Centers for
Disease Control
and Prevention,
wrote in an
email to NPR.
"Michigan-like
outbreaks remain
quite possible
until we have
more immunity."
"There was a
fourth surge,
whether it's
already receding
isn't yet
knowable," he
adds. "It didn't
feel so bad
because it was
so much smaller
than the third.
It has been a
bit larger than
the second and
may not be over
yet."
Jennifer Nuzzo,
a senior scholar
at the Johns
Hopkins Center
for Health
Security, is
also cautious.
"I think we're
getting close to
the tipping
point, but I
want to see a
few more weeks
of declining
cases before I
can say that
we're there,"
she says.
But others are
more confident
the country has
reached a
long-awaited
threshold thanks
to vaccination.
"The results of
vaccination have
been truly
astonishing in
terms of its
value of getting
us back to
normal and
liberating us
from this
pandemic," Rubin
says.
"We have created
a wall which is
preventing the
variant,
particularly the
UK one from the
UK and others,
from spreading
and surging,"
says Dr. Eric
Topol, a
professor of
molecular
medicine at Scripps Research.
The optimism
also comes from
several
mathematical
models of the
pandemic that
try to factor
in, among other
things, the
spread of the
variants, the
level of
vaccination and
how much people
are following
public health
guidance such as
wearing masks
and social
distancing.
"The model for
every state
shows that if
the state isn't
already in
decline, they
should start to
see a decline in
a few weeks,"
says Dean Karlen of the University of Victoria in Canada, who has
been modeling
the effect of
the variants on
individual U.S.
states. "And
hopefully, we'll
start seeing the
decline go
faster and
faster, assuming
the vaccination
rate continues."
All that said,
the country
isn't completely
out of danger.
The number of
people getting
infected every
day remains
high. And there
are some
worrying trends,
mostly notably a
recent sharp
drop-off in
vaccinations.
"We're starting
to try to
vaccinate those
who have been a
little more
hesitant or
harder to reach
or have been
having trouble
accessing
vaccines," says William Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan
School of Public
Health. "It is
really, really
important that
we do reach
those people."
In addition,
vaccination
rates vary a lot
across the
country. A big
worry are places
where not enough
people are
rolling up their
sleeves, such as
some Southern
states like
Alabama, Georgia
and Mississippi.
"If you remember
back to last
spring, many of
the states
across the South
thought that
they had escaped
COVID-19. Then
it started to
get hot. People
went indoors
into the air
conditioning.
That was a
perfect storm
for spread of
COVID across our
Southern states
last summer,"
says Dr. Megan Ranney, an assistant
dean at Brown
University.
"I worry because
those are the
same states
where our
vaccine numbers
are not great.
And so it sets
them up
potentially for
a rise in
COVID-19 cases
again," Ranney
says.
So even those
who are
convinced that
the nation as a
whole has hit a
tipping point
acknowledge that
individual
metropolitan
areas, states or
regions with low
levels of
vaccination
could experience
outbreaks
throughout the
spring and
summer.
And many are
predicting
another surge
could occur in
the fall if too
few people have
gotten
vaccinated by
then, and people
retreat back
indoors because
of the colder
weather.
Concern About Mutations and a New
Virus Wave
Dr. Paul Offit,
director of the
Vaccine
Education Center
at the
Children's
Hospital in
Philadelphia
said, “This
virus is
continuing to
mutate". "The
thing I'm most
worried about is
that this virus
will mutate to
the point that
immunity induced
by natural
infection or
vaccination
doesn't work at
all. That's the
most important
reason to
vaccinate."
Various Agencies
Require
Unvaccinated
People Wear
Masks
LA County
requires
unvaccinated
people to wear
masks.
Unvaccinated or
partially
vaccinated
people are still
asked to wear
masks when they
are near other
people who may
be not fully
vaccinated.
The
Transportation
Security
Administration
announced on
Friday that it
will be
extending mask
requirements for
all travelers
through Sept.
13, 2021,
according to an
agency tweet.
This includes at
airports,
onboard
commercial
aircraft, on
over-the-road
buses, and on
commuter bus and
rail systems,"
the agency
tweeted.
The TSA’s
initial face
mask requirement
was put into
effect on Feb. 1
and was set to
expire on May
11, according to
an agency news
release.
CDC says
Unvaccinated
people — defined
by the CDC as
those who have
yet to receive
both doses of
the Pfizer or
Moderna vaccine
or the one-shot
Johnson &
Johnson formula
— should wear
masks at outdoor
gatherings that
include other
unvaccinated
people. They
also should keep
using masks at
outdoor
restaurants.
Fully vaccinated
people do not
need to cover up
in those
situations, the
CDC says. But
everyone should
keep wearing
masks at crowded
outdoor events
such as concerts
or sporting
events, the CDC
says.
Americans Will
Continue Wearing
Masks Post COVID
Pandemic
precautions are
getting old, but
they’re
effective.
That may be why
many people in
the United
States plan to
continue them
after the threat
of COVID-19 eases
up.
At least that’s
how they felt in
January
when surveyed by
The Ohio State
University
Wexner Medical
Center.
The national
survey of more
than 2,000
people found
that most plan
to continue with
precautions such
as hand hygiene,
avoiding crowds,
and wearing a
mask in public.
“There’s reason
to be optimistic
about the
results in a
general sense,”
said Dr. Iahn
Gonsenhauser,
Wexner’s chief
quality and
patient safety
officer.
“The survey
represents
people’s best
intentions right
now, but people
have a tendency
to regress a bit
from intent,” he
told Healthline.
“In other
cultures,
wearing masks in
densely
populated urban
centers has been
a matter of
daily life for a
long time,”
Gonsenhauser
said.
There’s been
some reluctance
to accept mask
wearing in the
United States.
But of those
surveyed, 72
percent said
they’ll continue
wearing a mask
in public after
the pandemic.
“It will be
interesting to
see if the
lessons learned
from this
experience will
apply to other
areas,”
Gonsenhauser
said.
“People gloss
over that in a
typical year we
lose 50,000 to
70,000 people to
influenza.
That’s not the
case this year
due to masking.
We’ve hit a
130-year low,”
he said.
“Will people
process this and
come to
recognize that
there’s a lot of
opportunity to
impact life
outside COVID-19
with the same
measures? What
would a future
without
significant flu
look like in
terms of a
decrease in lost
lives, business
productivity,
and healthcare
savings?” he
said.
Gonsenhauser
noted that over
time, people do
tend to revert
to ingrained
behaviors. It
may be that a
small subset
will continue
wearing masks in
crowds.
The Centers for
Disease Control
and Prevention
(CDC)Trusted
Source has long
advocated for
proper
handwashing to
help prevent
spread of
disease.
It’s a habit
that may have
finally taken
hold due to
COVID-19. In the
survey, 90
percent of
respondents said
they’ll wash or
sanitize their
hands more
frequently
post-pandemic.
Dr. Charles
Bailey is
medical director
for infection
prevention at
Providence St.
Joseph Hospital
and Providence
Mission Hospital
in Southern
California.
Bailey told
Healthline
that handwashing
and respiratory
etiquette are
changes we
should be
incorporating
into our lives.
“Hand hygiene
and covering
your cough with
your elbow, not
your hand, are
behaviors that
hopefully catch
on. Not washing
hands especially
is an
unrecognized
factor in
COVID-19
spread,” he
said.
“Again, people
have the best
intentions
during this time
while there’s
still ongoing
trauma of
experiencing the
pandemic,”
Gonsenhauser
said.
“We have a
tendency in
these moments
for grand
perceptions of
how it will
fundamentally
reshape the
nature of our
culture and how
we behave in
social
situations. In a
few years, or
even months,
things may
revert back to
normal,” he
said.
Shaking hands is
part of American
culture, and
Bailey thinks it
may make a
comeback.
“Some will do
elbow bumps or
foot taps, but
most will get
back to shaking
hands. There are
risks in life. A
totally
risk-free
existence is not
very worthwhile,
and people
recognize that,”
Bailey said.
During the
pandemic, the
practice of
blowing out the
candles on a
birthday cake is
another thing
that has fallen
out of favor.
Bailey suggested
many people will
get back to that
as well.
“I don’t see it
disappearing in
the majority of
families,
especially with
family and close
friends, when
people are not
obviously ill.
The pendulum
will swing pack
toward pre-COVID
normalcy to the
extent it can
for those
individuals who
have been
tainted with
lifelong COVID
or in a
germophobic
situation. Some
will never be
the same,”
Bailey added.
In the survey,
73 percent of
respondents said
they plan to
stay home when
sick.
While that’s
always been
sound practice,
many jobs in the
United States
don’t provide
paid sick leave.
“This is less of
a problem in the
upper income
bracket. People
in lower
socioeconomic
brackets have a
different set of
challenges in
staying home
from work,”
Gonsenhauser
said.
“It’s part of
what we’ve seen
all along and is
continuing to
drive
disparities in
outcomes due to
the flexibility
to stay home
when sick,” he
said.
Gonsenhauser
believes
employers have a
responsibility
to ensure a safe
work
environment,
noting that
having employees
who feel
compelled to go
to work when
sick is also bad
for the bottom
line.
“There’s a
responsibility
on both sides
that is coming
to the forefront
and, hopefully,
will make a
difference in
the future,”
Gonsenhauser
said.
Bailey said that
workplaces will
have to make
adjustments.
“Some companies
can be more
efficient with
part of the
workforce
off-site,”
Bailey said.
“They can make
changes in terms
of more
spread-out
workspaces and
availability of
hand hygiene to
attract workers
back to the
workplace.
Companies that
can will
probably retain
more people.”
“Businesses will
have a vested
interest in
following some
type of
COVID-19-era
practices to
draw in
customers who
need to feel
comfortable, and
also to avoid
being caught by
surprise by the
next flare-up
and paying the
consequences
again with
draconian
government
measures in
place,” Bailey
added.
When comparing
today to the
1918 flu
pandemic,
Gonsenhauser
said we’ve
already moved
through some
parallels in
initial
de-escalation of
precautions.
One big
difference
between then and
now is that we
have vaccines.
“They didn’t,
and that will
change what the
next phase of
this looks like.
Certainly, we’re
in a race
against variants
that are more
transmissible.
At the point we
start to see new
cases outpacing
the vaccine,
that will be
trouble and will
extend the
pandemic,”
Gonsenhauser
said.
“There’s no
reason to think
that will
happen, but the
behaviors we
engage in over
the next handful
of months will
determine how
long this
lasts,” he said.
So, how do you
know when a
pandemic is
over?
You don’t. At
least not in
real time. It’s
something that
can’t be defined
other than in
retrospect,
according to
Bailey.
“Maybe in five
years we can say
the pandemic
seems to have
ended in the
fall of 2021 or
spring of 2022.
It’s not obvious
because it’s
something that
goes through
cycles. So, we
just don’t
know,” he
explained.
It’s that
uncertainty,
Bailey said,
that creates a
variety of
behaviors based
on individual
comfort zones.
One crucial
factor is
communication.
“It’s an iffy
proposition if
there’s not
consistent
messaging or
it’s not
consistently
received by all
people,” Bailey
said.
“To the extent
that somebody
believes it’s
over and we can
close the books
on COVID-19,
they’re more
likely to get
back to
pre-COVID-19
normal. Those
that have
lingering doubt
that it’s really
gone will be
more likely to
continue with
risk
mitigation,”
Bailey said.
Change may come
more quickly
than we may
presume at this
point,
Gonsenhauser
said.
“There may be a
growing
resistance to
continuing
precaution
measures once
the numbers look
more manageable.
So many people
are so burned
out and so
ready,” he
continued.
Bailey suggested
there’ll be a
variety of
behaviors, none
of which are
wrong.
“Some may look
at the end of
COVID-19 as a
reason to adapt
a ‘carpe diem’
philosophy until
they have some
event happen to
make them
realize that’s
not wise. Some
will maintain
pretty much as
before. Others
will lead a
‘subterranean
existence’ as a
result of their
experience,” he
continued.
But it will be a
defined era,
Bailey said.
“I hope people
have been able
to retain some
optimism through
this, and that
it can help
guide their
future life to
be happier than
it might be if
they can’t put
the COVID-19 era
behind them,” he
added.
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