Can it really be? Are we coming to the end of the pandemic?
(Companion Video: "Moving Bravely Into A Post Pandemic World Hypnosis" is available on Youtube right here)
It's unclear when the WHO and other agencies will declare the pandemic over, with the COVID virus becoming endemic like the seasonal flu or colds, but overall the news seems to be good. Case numbers have been in decline since the start of the year, with some spikes in some countries, but the overall trajectory has been down. Where I live, in Knoxville, TN, I see people rather swiftly returning to life. Stores are filled with unmasked patrons and concerts are getting more packed.
Whether we like it or not, the majority of us grew into developing COVID habits the past few years. We got accustomed to bringing masks along with us, putting them on when we entered a public space and pulling them off as soon as we got out. We automatically started reaching for hand sani and kept bottles in our homes and cars. We became accustomed to doing things on Zoom, which is a platform that many of us hadn't heard of prior to the pandemic. Remember those dots on the floor we were supposed to stand on to keep 6 feet away from each other?
Naturally, COVID changed our lives -- or at least disrupted them to some extent.
So, the question is: Where do we go from here? As case numbers drop and we're seeing fewer hospitalizations and deaths, are we going to give up all of these habits that we picked up over the years? Are we simply going to back to the way things were before, or are we going see some changes being somewhat permanent?
Of course, some of this is up to the virus itself which has not stopped doing its thing. As I write this, there are pretty major spikes in South Korea, Germany, Australia, and China. The U.S. has also seen cases rise in the past 2 weeks. Yet, yesterday I attended a concert with an estimated 1000 attendees and there were maybe 50 people wearing masks. If you asked the majority of Americans, I think the consensus would be "the pandemic's over".
Obviously we've reached a point of burnout. Thankfully a substantial percentage of Americans are vaccinated (70%) even though many fewer are boostered (30%), which helps the overall trajectory. This brings up a really interesting question to me, which is what happens to habits when we burn out on them? In all the research I've done, I've yet to find an answer to this question. My inclination is to say that people will readily give up habits if they're burnt out on them, but the thing about habits is that they're automated. I know that for two years, I didn't go anywhere without a mask in my pocket, and I still have this habit even if I don't wear it when I get to my destination. Whenever I get done at the grocery store, I'm the very first to reach for the hand sani. However, I'm done giving up hugs. I'm a hugger and I'm so happy to be able to hug my friends when I see them.
The other question that interests me is: If we get another major spike of COVID cases, will we return to masking/handwashing/distancing, or is that over now? The way the needle has been moving politically, my guess is no, especially after last week's court decision eliminating mask mandates on public transportation. It's hard for me to imagine that there will be any enforcement of COVID policies from this point onward, at least in the United States. This leaves decisions to individuals who are burnt out from two years of masking and distancing.
It will be interesting to see what happens. Just like you, I'm ready for this all to be over. I just hope we don't all throw out the baby with the bathwater in the process.
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