For once, some of the graphs illustrating the pandemic’s progression in the U.S. soothe more than they alarm. COVID-19 cases are dropping and the number of people vaccinated is rising. As the balance shifts, some people are getting together with friends, eating out and considering a full-fledged return to the office, activities they might have abandoned when the pandemic began.
Not everyone, however, is welcoming the return of former activities with open arms. For some people, leaving their pandemic behaviors behind and resuming social situations seems like a daunting task. "There's been some very real fears that have been hanging over our heads for the last year," says Thea Gallagher, a clinical psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. "I think all of us can relate to some fear and apprehension."
