Vaccination rates are going down. Testing rates are going down. Are the pandemic case numbers doing the same?
This week we came across a lot of opinions about the CDC's announcement that masks are no longer necessary for vaccinated individuals. Partly because it came as a bit of a surprise to the medical establishment - both providers and journalists - and partly because of the mixed reactions people had based on where they were emotionally.
On the one hand, it's encouraging that we are looking more and more like we're reaching a turning point. But it's also dangerous to think the danger is passed, because if we go "back to normal" too quickly and without enough precautions - especially in a medical setting - we might run the risk of reigniting the pandemic.
That's not as bleak a note to end on as you may think, because it means that change is beginning. You've learned lessons, no doubt, in the last year. If you haven't yet, take a listen to some of the lessons learned from the experts we interviewed as part of our Take 5: An Inventory Series podcast in 2020.
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