Curious when epidemiologists will feel safe traveling again?
The New York Times surveyed 511 infectious disease specialists and epidemiologists and asked their opinions as to when they personally will resume 20 routine activities.
The respondents’ replies assume “that the pandemic and the public health response to it unfold as they expect. Plus, “Their answers are not guidelines for the public, and incorporate respondents’ individual life circumstances, risk tolerance and expectations about when there will be widespread testing, contact tracing, treatment and vaccination for Covid-19. They said it’s these things that will determine their actions, because the virus sets the timeline.”
Only 20% said they expect to fly this summer. Meanwhile, 44% are cool with taking to the skies sometime between fall and next summer. Thirty-seven percent (37%), though, think it’ll be at least a year from. now before flying again.
The figures are roughly the same for riding a subway or a bus.
More than half (56%) are OK dining in a restaurant during the fall 2020 to summer 2021 range.
So that’s at least some good news, right?
Concerts, Plays, Sports Events, Weddings, Funerals
Many of us travel to experience concerts, take in major theatre productions, see our favorite sports teams play, enjoy weddings, and bid farewell to loved ones.
Unfortunately, the survey participants weren’t as gung-ho about these activities.
Sixty-four percent (64%) are going to wait until mid-2021 — at the earliest — to attend a sporting event, a concert, or a play. Half that number will risk it before then.
Weddings and funerals also aren’t high on their to-do lists. Forty-two percent (42%) will wait a year before chancing it; about the same number (41%) see themselves attending one sometime between summer and fall.
What About Face Coverings?
If you follow the experts’ advice, you’re going to wear a mask for a while.
Only seven percent said they’ll stop routinely wearing one this summer. Forty-percent (40%) are might bare some face sometime between this fall and next summer. But 52% said they’ll cover up for at least another year.
Final Approach
It’s interesting to get their take on so many activities we miss so much. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!
— Chris
Featured image: ©iStock.com/rypson
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2 Comments
It is good news that things are picking up, but if coronavirus strike again in autumn it will stop traveling again, and probably most airlines won’t survive. I hope that will not happen
Might want to fix some of the date typos.