On February 26, 2021, the CDC reported a six-week downward trend of COVID-19 cases in the United States. The 13.5% decrease in the 7-day average number of daily cases reported gave many Americans a sign of hope. Will life finally return to normal?
For the first time since November, less than 50,000 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19 in the country. In addition, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was the third coronavirus vaccine authorized by the FDA for emergency use. This medical intervention was approved for its accessibility and efficacy, as it is the first single-shot vaccine in the fight against the pandemic.
"To have a third vaccine that meets the expectations of an (emergency use authorization) for safety and effectiveness at preventing severe disease and death from COVID-19 brings us one step closer to protecting the American public, staying ahead of concerning viral variants, and finding our way out of the pandemic," National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins stated.
However, experts warn the public that this is not the end.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that it is “unrealistic” to expect the COVID-19 pandemic to end this year.
“I think it will be very premature, and I think unrealistic to think that we’re going to finish with this virus by the end of the year,” says director of WHO’s Emergencies Program: Dr. Micheal Ryan.
Other professionals in science and medicine have taken a stand to enforce realistic hopes as well.
When Dr. Rochelle Walensky, a director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was asked if the country will revert to normal by the end of the year, her response was: “I think that very much, but depends on how we behave right now. I think we need to do all of, all of us need to do our part. If we have another surge, because we are not taking the proper mitigation strategies, I think it would be foolish for me to project.”
Despite progress that shows hope for the “normal” we knew, communities must make sure to enforce healthy protocols and encourage others to do the same.
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