It’s easy to fall into a false sense of security now that states have reopened. And many are already paying the price.
It’s easy to fall into a false sense of security now that states have reopened. And many are already paying the price.
States are shutting down businesses again. Popular beaches have closed. And the rate of new Covid-19 infections keeps growing in most states, threatening to reverse the progress made during stay-at-home orders.
So what happened? When states reopened to try to save the economy, the fate of this pandemic shifted from government mandates to personal responsibility.
But many are not heeding that responsibility, instead letting their guard down too early due to popular misconceptions:
If the economy is open, the pandemic is getting better, right?
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No. «This is not even close to being over,» the head of the World Health Organization said this week.
Only about 5% to 8% of the US population has been infected with this new coronavirus, meaning we have a long way to go before reaching herd immunity.
Gatherings in homes may be fueling the spread of Covid-19
Herd immunity generally happens when 70% to 90% of a population becomes immune to an infectious disease — either because people have been infected and recovered, or because they’ve been vaccinated.
But it will be many months before a Covid-19 vaccine might be publicly available — if one becomes effective and available at all.
There’s also no cure for the novel coronavirus. So the only way to control this deadly pandemic is through personal behavior — like staying 6 feet away from others, including in social situations, and wearing a face mask.
«It is critical that we all take the personal responsibility to slow the transmission of Covid-19 and embrace the universal use of face coverings,» Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday.
More than 127,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 in less than six months, with hundreds more deaths every day.
I’m young and healthy, so I’m not worried
New Covid-19 infections have skyrocketed in the Gen Z and millennial age groups. And while the death rate is lower among young adults, many are struggling with long-term effects from the disease.
«Specifically, I’m addressing the younger members of our society, the millennials and the Generation Z’s,» Redfield said in calling for face coverings. «I ask those that are listening to spread the word.»
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In Florida, the median age group for those infected back in March was people in their 60s. But in the past few weeks, that median age has plummeted to young adults in their early 30s, Gov. Ron DeSantis said in late June.
The rapid surge of infections in Florida is «being driven by that 18 to 35-year-old group,» DeSantis said.
After Florida started reopening in early May, Erika Crisp and 15 friends went to celebrate a birthday at a bar where no one was wearing a mask. All 16 friends came down with Covid-19.
During their night out, the virus seemed «out of sight, out of mind» because they didn’t know anyone who had contracted it, Crisp said. The group also had a false sense of security, she said, because their governor said it was safe to reopen.
«I feel foolish. It’s too soon,» Crisp said.
New Jersey physician Dr. Jen Caudle said she’s seen young patients suffer serious or long-term complications from Covid-19 — including strokes, shortness of breath, fatigue, or the inability to smell and taste long after recovering from the virus.
