In mid-May, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines showing that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in most environments, including indoor restaurants and other public spaces. did. This decision was firmly rooted in science, but even those of us who write and report on COVID-19 every day felt uncomfortable for many. The idea of ​​returning to near normal overnight after more than a year of masking and social distance was a shock to the system. We were not alone. As Melba Newsome reports in this issue’s cover story, a significant number of individuals have recently told American Psychological Association researchers to return to their old lifestyle despite being vaccinated. He said he was hesitant (“”Cave Syndrome Continues to Be Vaccinated for Social Isolation“). Personally, by relying on the science and effectiveness of vaccines, I was able to get back there in terms of preventing serious illness (even from mutants) and infecting others with the virus. It was.

For those of us who are lucky enough to live in a country where the number of cases continues to decline, the focus is on the aftereffects of a pandemic. After the deaths of nearly 600,000 people, millions of loved ones have been lost in the United States, and grief has just begun (“Covid puts the world at risk of protracted grief disorder“). Time and self-sympathy are on track for those of us who want to finally get out of the door and face the world, and for those who embrace the devastation of loss.