Pandemic Recovery: Are We There Yet?

Regardless of who you are, you can agree that things will be better when the pandemic is fully finished. We can look back on the pandemic and learn from it, but we won’t have to fear for our lives, limit access to public venues, or stay away from the people we love.

Things are inching toward normal again, but how close are we to being done with the COVID-19 pandemic? Has the pandemic recovery plan worked?

We’re going to take a look at the state of the pandemic, exploring how close we might be to a complete recovery. Hopefully, the ideas below can give you a general sense of how things are going at the moment, where we’re headed, and when we might finally say “it’s over.”

Where Are We in The Process of Pandemic Recovery?

The first thing to note is that, while The United States is making steady progress to improve its pandemic response, the ultimate end of this epidemic will come when countries all over the world have appropriate access to vaccines and health care measures.

If there are still countries that have a lot of cases, there’s still danger for the disease to spread. Additionally, more cases mean more opportunities for varients to develop and spread.

There are a few variants to the original COVID-19 that already exist. They’re not too far from the original, but they’re still a little different and might not be as phased by the vaccine.

The Pandemic Across The World

Let’s take a look at some of the current statistics.

Worldwide, cases have taken a strong dip from the beginning of May to early June where we find ourselves now. A similar dip occurred at the end of February, only to see cases shoot back up to the highest they’d ever been.

Surely, though, we can attribute the current drop in cases to the spread of the vaccine. That means that we won’t see cases jump higher than they’ve been in the past. We’re on the downward slope.

At its worst in early May, the world saw 800,000-plus new cases on a single day. We’re down to about half that now, and the dip from 800,000 to 400,000 took place over about one month.

That’s pretty incredible considering the previous year had involved a near-constant climb. The difficulty with global numbers, though, is that they don’t account for the hundreds of countries experiencing unique situations.

Most of the developed countries have started to get their populations vaccinated, while there are numerous countries that don’t have the infrastructure to do so.

South America and Africa are still seeing a large number of infections and deaths each day.

International Measures

In total, more than 2 billion people across the world have been vaccinated. Many of those vaccinations are being distributed in developed countries, while there is still significant progress to be made in others.

There are some bureaucratic issues that have stalled the distribution of the vaccine. For example, vaccines come with patents and intellectual property rights for the companies that conceive them. That makes it hard, even illegal for scientists in other countries to develop the same or similar vaccines.

Joe Biden has said that he wants to waive those intellectual property rights so that all countries can have equal access to that information. The United States has also committed to buying 500 million vaccine doses to send to developing countries.

Pushes like these are significant, but they aren’t enough to fully curb the virus in the places that need it most. We might not see a total pandemic recovery until wealthy countries manage the spread enough to start offering support to less-developed countries.

These efforts will inevitably save the lives of millions of people. It’s hard to think that there are still millions of people who could die from the pandemic a year after the outbreak, but the fact is that it’s still running rampant and spreading across the world.

When given the opportunity to push for legislation to benefit developing countries, keep those numbers in mind.

Measures in The United States

The United States has racked up almost 33.5 million cases of COVID-19. The death toll will exceed 600,000 before it’s all over, there are doubtless a number of cases that went unrecorded.

Fortunately, though, most states show numbers that are dropping sharply. There are a few states experiencing surges, but the overwhelming trend is that the cases around the country are dipping by large percentages.

There’s still some effort to be made in order to get those numbers all the way down, though. Just because cases are dropping doesn’t mean that they’re non-existent. There are still people getting hospitalized for COVID-19 every day, and it’s important not to forget that fact.

While mask mandates are lifted in a lot of places, that doesn’t mean you should never wear a mask. If you haven’t had the chance to be vaccinated yet, you should still have a mask on hand whenever you enter a crowded public space.

It’s also important to wear a mask if you’re feeling sick with any of the symptoms of COVID-19. It’s also a good idea to meet friends and families in well-ventilated, open spaces if you can.

Many people are starting to treat the world as if the pandemic is over, and that’s an exciting sign. That said, getting ahead of ourselves could lead to more and more cases, prolonging the day when we can finally say that we’re clear.

What’s Safe to Do?

If you’re a vaccinated person, you can feel safe doing almost anything that you did before the pandemic started. The CDC has lifted a lot of the social distancing and mask guidelines, meaning that those who have the shot can go out without wearing a mask.

Bars, restaurants, hair salons, and indoor gatherings of certain sizes are deemed safe. It might be a little tricky to know exactly what you’re allowed to do, though.

Some areas still haven’t lifted the state and citywide mandates because there are a lot of people who have yet to be vaccinated. That puts everyone else at risk if nobody is wearing a mask and there are still cases floating around.

If you’re a person who chooses not to get the vaccine, you might be upset by the privileges afforded to those who have it. Unfortunately, this is the way that most people can stay safe and prevent sickness and death.

As more people get vaccinated, though, more and more restrictions will be lifted. In that sense, the United States is approaching a full social pandemic recovery.

Economic Pandemic Recovery Plan

Even though cases are slowing and restrictions are lifting, there’s still a lot to be done in order to get things where they once were.

In particular, the economic toll that the pandemic took will take some time and effort to recover from. Small businesses will need the most help getting back on their feet.

A lot of small businesses are feeling a little better right now, as people are more comfortable getting out into the open and spending their money in person. That said, programs like the restaurant revitalization fund are essential for bringing establishments back to a place where they can thrive.

The same goes for individuals as well. For businesses to start thriving, people have to get back on their feet. The stimulus and unemployment payments were certainly a huge help to struggling individuals in the midst of the pandemic.

While fewer people are hurting now, some people may still need emergency assistance, emergency rent assistance, emergency housing assistance, and emergency cash assistance.

Keep in mind that a lot of jobs were totally eliminated over the last year. Businesses shut down, stripping people of their source of income and leaving them with nothing to do. Many people working for or owning small businesses have invested their livelihood into those establishments.

When those businesses go under, it’s different than losing a job for which you can transfer your skillset elsewhere. It might take some people a lot longer to find gainful employment that allows them to live at a reasonable standard.

So, How Close are We to Recovery?

We are definitely in the last leg of the pandemic. How long that leg is, though, will depend on how cities, states, and countries choose to manage things. Additionally, it will depend on how helpful developed countries choose to be in terms of less-developed countries.

We get out of this when all areas of the world have minimal cases of COVID-19. At that point, we can travel just like we did a few years ago. We can see our friends whenever we want, and we won’t be required to wear masks at all.

Most importantly, nobody will have to fear death when they leave the house.

Want to Learn More?

There’s a lot to learn about the pandemic recovery and where it’s headed. We’re here to help you get the information you need so that you’re up to date on what’s happening.

Explore our site for more insight into the pandemic, its response, and when we can expect to get back to normal.