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This Isn’t a Curve, It’s an Endless Plateau
From social distancing to social exhaustion, coronavirus waits out a restless American populace
April 2020 was a remarkable month.
On one hand, the world witnessed the most devastating pandemic of our lifetime wreak havoc on the lives of millions. Between thousands of lost lives, the upheaval of the norms of daily life and a massive economic fallout, April left a mark on almost every person. On the other hand, countries around the world witnessed a level of solidarity not seen in years. With some exceptions, people rallied around the cause of “flattening the curve” and in doing so, saw the impact of cohesive public health measures in halting the spread of Covid-19.
As April turned to May, trends began to reveal the outcomes of our collective effort as curves across the country flattened. States hardest hit by the virus, like Washington and New York, began to see glimpses of a curve turning downward. It appeared that progress was happening.
By late May, U.S. citizens became exhausted and impatient with the pandemic. Economic pressures forced people to come out of stay-at-home orders and return to a modified version of normal life. Soon, states began to show differing coronavirus trends, with many trends going against the hope that…
