Experts Say: The Coronavirus Pandemic Will Not Slow Down [But People Still Want Get-Togethers]

In the United States, there are more than 2.2 million confirmed cases of coronavirus, and more than 119,000 have died.

Experts believe that with the growing number of new cases, the coronavirus pandemic will not slow down this summer or fall.

In an interview with NBC, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, Michael Osterholm, described the coronavirus pandemic as a forest fire.

Osterholm said, "Wherever there's wood to burn, this fire is going to burn, and right now, we have a lot of susceptible people."

The statistics on the coronavirus pandemic

Last Saturday, more than 33,000 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in the U.S. This number is the highest total since the 1st of May.

Compared to the U.S., the European Union only records 4,000 new confirmed cases per day. In the U.S., about 24,000 new cases are recorded per day. The population of the European Union is at 446 million, while the U.S. has 328 million.

The number of confirmed cases may be attributed to the increase in testing in the country. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. around 26 million tests have been conducted all over the country.

Expert: The Influenza Model Does Not Apply To The U.S.

The past four influenza pandemic outbreaks in the United States have one prominent characteristic. All of them have multiple waves of infections. Although the mechanisms of these waves are still uncertain, some experts say that this may help health authorities in developing strategies in curbing the coronavirus pandemic.

However, Osterholm believes that the multiple waves model of the influenza pandemic does not apply to the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. He thinks that we will not see one, two, or three waves, but rather just one big wave. He added that the first wave has yet to slow down, so there is no second wave.

Osterholm said, "I think we're just going to see one very, very difficult forest fire of cases."

Despite the increase in coronavirus cases, people want to have get-togethers.

Some states have been easing measures for the coronavirus pandemic. A lot of people are looking for ways to have get-togethers and make summer fun while ensuring everyone is safe.

As proof, the search term "social distancing get together ideas" increased to 600% in popularity last week.

According to experts, it is human nature to connect with other people, thus the get-togethers. The self-esteem and sense of meaning and purpose are boosted when one person keeps contact with others.

Theresa DiDonato, an associate professor of psychology at Loyola University, humans are always driven to connect. She also said, "We have a fundamental motivation to belong."

To be able to address this, a lot of families are becoming creative in terms of their get-togethers. They do all activities while keeping some social distance and wearing masks.