The coronavirus pandemic, which started back at the beginning of the year in the month of February, continues to accelerate and is not expected to end anytime soon as the number of cases is still rising along with the mortality rates in the US as well as elsewhere around the world.
Most countries are following coronavirus-related restrictions suggested by health agencies such as the World Health Organization to control virus transmission rates while clinging on to the hope of vaccination for coronavirus being released into the market in the coming weeks.
However, health experts have made it clear that neither is a vaccine going to be launched in the market without completing all phases and undergoing fundamental effectiveness and safety checks nor is the pandemic ending anytime soon.
Furthermore, they have also stated that even a vaccine would not guarantee control over the coronavirus as developing a formula does not end the challenges that would come with the storage and distribution of the vaccine. So, even with vaccination in hand, it would take more months for all people to have the vaccine.
Along with such issues, there is a rising number of people who may actually cause hurdles in the distribution of vaccines intentionally due to their skepticism on the contents of the vaccine. Also known as ‘anti-vaxxers’, these people state that vaccinations do not provide benefits but can actually cause issues such as autism in people.
People who follow anti-vaccination not only put themselves and their families but others around them in danger as well and can be a hurdle for coronavirus vaccine distribution too.
All of these issues collectively contributed to the growing ‘coronavirus fatigue’ among people. This means that most people, after following coronavirus preventive measures and hearing a few positive changes, are tired of doing so for the past eight months.
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As a result, many of them are not following guidelines anymore intentionally and going out in public places regularly without a mask. Most of these people are younger adults who are meeting their friends and going out to clubs even if the risk of coronavirus remains to be very high.
Back in summer, local health departments even warned against ‘coronavirus parties’ which included a large number of college students placing bets on who would get COVID-19 first during parties with no coronavirus preventive measures.
According to experts, such behavior may seem absurd to most people as it is highly risky but it is a totally normal and expected reaction especially in younger adults who are used to staying outdoors. The mental toll of the pandemic and coronavirus fatigue is likely to make people ignore instructions and engage in risky activities.
However, this can lead to more negative health outcomes than positive ones and it is highly unlikely to improve mental health. Instead, it can only increase the chances of contracting the infection significantly, which explains why most new cases of the infection are of younger adults rather than older adults.
The recent coronavirus outbreaks in cities including Chicago have also been blamed on people no longer following instructions for coronavirus.
While coronavirus fatigue is real and can impact mental health, it is important to remember not following instructions can only increase it as it prolongs the pandemic. The constant stress from the pandemic can only be reduced when it ends and to do that, following guidelines for coronavirus prevention is fundamental.