Coronavirus. Covid-19. The pandemic. Whatever name you call it by, this novel virus has taken the world by storm. From East Asia, the coronavirus has made its way to every corner of the globe, taking millions of people’s lives along with it. People have lost their dearest family and friends to the virus, while many of those who survived it were left severely immuno-compromised afterwards. For over a year now, our communities have been placed under quarantine in addition to the numerous social distancing policies put in place. People, naturally being social and outgoing creatures, are constantly feeling on edge because of the isolated feeling that we all have had to endure being quarantined at home. Nevertheless, this does not mean we can disregard the health and well-being concerns that returning to everyday society brings.
Some U.S states, such as Texas and Mississippi, have lifted the coronavirus restrictions that were enacted last year. Texas governor, Greg Abbot, declared that the state would become 100% open by March 10. As Texas made its move to return to pre-quarantine life, many businesses have reopened to full capacity once more, schools are reopening, etc. However, U.S. President Joe Biden disagrees with this course of action, calling these moves “a big mistake,” while continuing to urge caution. Certain jurisdictions in Texas, notably Democratic-led, share these sentiments, namely Travis County and Austin County. These counties have left the coronavirus restrictions in place, facing hostility and lawsuits from the state government. It seems that people are beginning to brush off all the hurt and misery the coronavirus has caused and in a hasty manner, trying to return to a sense of normalcy into their life.
The path back to the way of life before the pandemic is a long one, and it will take a long time to reach the end of it. Every few months, the number of cases drop and people feel safe going out in public, only for the number of cases to rapidly escalate once more. This is the cycle that the United States has been adhering to since March 2020, and will continue to adhere to if people do not heed warnings from medical experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Director of the CDC, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, appropriately stated that “people are tired; they want to get back to life, to normal, but we’re not there yet.” As a matter of fact, cases and deaths in Texas and Mississippi have spiked slightly since their reopenings. Thankfully, many of the people living in the area have also advocated against the full reopening of society, and are worried for their safety. This means that at least some people will wear masks and maintain social distancing standards, even though it is not mandated.
The coronavirus vaccines have begun to roll out in the U.S., and as of March 16, an average of 11.8% of the population has been fully vaccinated, with both the necessary doses. This is a step in the right direction, but still is not enough for a full reopening of society. In order to reach herd immunity and allow for the safe reopening of the public, , a majority, precisely _\% of the population, need to receive a full dosage of the coronavirus vaccination. Currently, Texas stands below the already insufficient national average, at a 10% vaccination rate. These numbers do not seem to bode well for the state, as they have just repealed coronavirus regulations.
This being said, even after receiving the full vaccine dosage, it is still essential that people wear masks. Though the risk of infection would be considerably lower, the vaccine is not perfect, and contamination is still possible. Additionally, coronavirus particulates could enter the nose and those particulates would still be able to infect others, though it may not affect people who were vaccinated. As of now, we are still in a healing stage. Before we return to how things were, we must first recover as a whole so that everything does not come tumbling back down every time we try to progress. Hence, keep wearing your masks, keep social distancing, and the rest will fall into place.