Every year at this time, much of the country starts to shake off the winter doldrums. The days are longer, the temperature starts creeping up, and there’s a sense of renewal. People just can’t wait to say goodbye to winter and to being stuck inside. This year, of course, that urge may be particularly strong. The fatigue of social distancing restrictions that have kept us from
even the lower intensity interactions could be a serious problem, and a precursor to a new surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky acknowledged in a press briefing that the winter surge is winding down but warned there are already “troubling signs of the trajectory of the pandemic in the U.S.” as people start interacting more, bolstered by a false sense of security due to increasing numbers of vaccinated Americans. Texas has already lifted its statewide mask mandate and is allowing businesses to fully open. Other states are likely to follow at the same time that new variants of the virus continue to emerge. For the urgent care provider, the message is clear: continue to test proactively, report results to the appropriate health agencies, and conduct aggressive immunization programs if given the opportunity. Hopefully, we’ve all learned a lot in the past year; acting on those lessons could save countless lives and the economy.