Here Is What The Experts Are Saying This Summer Will Look Like As The Pandemic Continues

Last summer (2020) was a disaster. We all agree on that, right? There was so much going on last summer, and a majority of that revolved around the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was a difficult year for pretty much everyone, but 2021 is already starting to look better. Millions of people are getting vaccinated, and the spread of the virus continues to go down across the country.

But will that continue through the summer? Well, experts are optimistic. Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Huff Post the following…

“Speaking for the U.S., I’m really hopeful that this summer will be remarkably different from last summer. We’re on a good path right now and I just hope that we can stay on the path that we’re on.”

Experts across the board seem to agree that outdoor gatherings will be very popular this summer, even larger ones. And that’s mainly because the data continues to suggest the virus doesn’t spread easily outdoors.

“One of the things that we are feeling better about is the data around SARS-CoV-2 transmission and recognizing that outdoor activities have not turned out, as best as we can tell, to be a significant factor in pushing the pandemic forward.”

So while they may not recommend everyone to pack a stadium full of people, they do recommend getting together with friends for backyard parties or taking your kids to the park.

Or even taking a family trip to the beach. Many of the experts who talked to the website encouraged people to take trips to the beach this summer, as long as you’re being respectful of other people’s space.

But what about indoor activities? Well, there is still some mix messaging on that, but the easiest guideline to follow? Get vaccinated. If you’re hanging out with people who are vaccinated, or have low-risk to the virus, then the CDC says you can safely gather indoors.

Another encouraging sign? Herd immunity. Experts believe some areas in the United States are getting close to reaching that magical mark.

“Brewer suspects that particularly hard-hit areas like Los Angeles are getting closer to herd immunity when you combine the number of people who had detectable COVID-19, those who were unknowingly infected, and those who have now been vaccinated.

He added that he expects to see this happen in other harder-hit areas in the coming months, with some cities or states reaching herd immunity before other parts of the country.”

So all of this is very encouraging, and while this summer may not be 100% normal, it’ll likely be closer to normal than last summer. That’s great news.

But just remember, we’re not out of the woods yet. There are still variants out there, and some of them have been escaping the vaccines. That doesn’t mean we’ll have another widespread outbreak, but it’s possible.

Still though, the data is not worrisome, according to Nuzzo.

“Nuzzo added that while things could take a turn for the worse, the data is not currently extremely worrisome ― and by wearing masks, social distancing, washing our hands and getting the vaccine when it’s your turn, we’ll help slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.”

Long story short? Start working on that beach bod.