With the recent distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines throughout the world, society has started to begin the transition into the post-covid life that so many people have longed for this past year. As COVID-19 vaccinations reach 75 million Americans, many people have started planning their return to normal life with little regard for social distancing. Despite the mass distribution of vaccines such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna throughout the country, more than half of states continue to see a rise in cases due to the false sense of security vaccines have provided.
As an avid user of technology and social media, it is apparent that many Americans have started to overlook the pandemic and safety regulations put in place to maintain their health. Many large organizations, such as the MLB, have started to allow the full opening of stadiums to the public with almost zero social distancing. Some states have also begun to remove mask mandates and have prematurely opened public places with no regulations. Large numbers of people have even started traveling to places like Florida and Texas for spring break where mandates are more lenient, ultimately increasing the spread of the virus.
I think that Americans need to realize that COVID-19 has not disappeared and is rather continuing to increase in more than half of the country due to a false sense of security. Although the vaccines have high efficacy, they are not 100% effective which is something people need to be more conscious of. Although we may be approaching the eventual goal of vaccinating every American, this will not be possible if we continue to ignore these regulations.
In order to get back to the life we lived before the pandemic, Americans must continue to take social distancing and other necessary precautions seriously in order to lower exposure and the possible spreading of the virus. It is essential that we continue to live a socially distanced life so we do not prolong the eventual return to a normal life we all so desperately look forward to.
As more Americans are given the opportunity to get vaccinated, coronavirus cases and covid-related deaths will start to see a considerable decrease. We Americans need to stop normalizing the disregard for mask wearing and social distancing and need to pay more attention to the damage we are self-inflicting onto our country and its people.