--- title: What COVID-19's New Normal Looks Like Is Up to Us description: The new normal is that we have vaccines, medications, and strategies to prevent, treat, and control COVID-19. We must work together to protect each other. canonical: https://time.com/6170320/covid-19-new-normal-up-to-us/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2022-04-26T15:58:04.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-14T09:34:54.694Z article:section: Ideas og:title: COVID-19 Is Now Preventable, Treatable, and Controllable. What Happens Next Is Up to Us og:description: The new normal is that we have vaccines, medications, and strategies to prevent, treat, and control COVID-19. og:url: https://time.com/6170320/covid-19-new-normal-up-to-us/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c0f671919958f28/698a314a096a94cca46ac7b6/GettyImages-1240137780.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Transit Systems Grapple With Mask Rules As TSA Lifts Mandate og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: COVID-19 Is Now Preventable, Treatable, and Controllable. What Happens Next Is Up to Us twitter:description: The new normal is that we have vaccines, medications, and strategies to prevent, treat, and control COVID-19. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c0f671919958f28/698a314a096a94cca46ac7b6/GettyImages-1240137780.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # COVID-19 Is Now Preventable, Treatable, and Controllable. What Happens Next Is Up to Us > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=bac6253d-38ae-48a9-9c76-55a55f90e708&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The Difference Between a Covid Spike and a Surge [Watch (HLS stream): The Difference Between a Covid Spike and a Surge](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/j83pb4lv.m3u8) (2:25)  _Published 2022-04-05. The new normal is that we have vaccines, medications, and strategies to prevent, treat, and control COVID-19. We must work together to protect each other._ by [Scott A. Rivkees](https://time.com/author/scott-a-rivkees/) ## Scott A. Rivkees Apr 26, 2022 3:58 PM UTC by [Scott A. Rivkees](https://time.com/author/scott-a-rivkees/) ## Scott A. Rivkees Apr 26, 2022 3:58 PM UTC On April 13, 2020 I spoke at a [press conference](https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-pandemic-04-13-20/h%5F26d7be823818bfd433e36f782857d700) stating that COVID-19 social mitigation measures would be our “new normal” until we had vaccines. By the end of December 2020, safe and effective [COVID-19 vaccines](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8101362/) became available in the U.S. in limited supply. Now in April 2022, the COVID-19 vaccine supply in the U.S. is bountiful, with vaccines FDA-approved for those 5 years and older. We also now have new [medications ](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/know-your-treatment-options-covid-1) that can prevent and treat COVID-19\. Compared to the early days of the pandemic, COVID-19 is now [preventable, treatable, and controllable](https://thepublicsradio.org/article/mcdonald-2-way-xxx). But just as we adapted before, we need to adapt again. It is now for us to make individual choices to keep ourselves and others healthy and safe. It is for us to know about and use the many available COVID-19 control tools. Despite major advances in COVID-19 care and prevention over the past two years, we remain in the midst of a serious pandemic. In the US, there are about [30,000 new cases, 1,500 new hospitalizations, and 400 new deaths per day ](https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home)per due to COVID-19\. We face the continued [evolution of COVID-19](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-10097-z) to a more contagious virus that appears in unpredictable waves of infection. We face a response to COVID-19 that is varied and at times contentious. We face [opposition to vaccination](https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2022-04-10/thousands-rally-in-la-to-oppose-covid-19-vaccine-mandates). We face a public increasingly tired of COVID-19 mitigation measures. We face erosion of trust in [public health](https://www.npr.org/2021/05/13/996331692/poll-finds-public-health-has-a-trust-problem) and health leaders. We also recognize that with a polarized public, attaining unified local responses may be difficult, but we also can see the [destructiveness](https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/27/school-boards-covid-restrictions-violence-517326) of community infighting. We face continued legal challenges to COVID-19 control measures that are influencing the public health response and limiting CDC authority and action. Federal mandates that large businesses vaccinate their employees have been overturned at the [Supreme Court](https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-blocks-biden-vaccine-rules-for-private-employers-allows-them-for-healthcare-workers-11642103130?mod=article%5Finline). The recent reintroduction of a mask mandate in Philadelphia is being [legally challenged](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/17/philadelphia-mask-mandate-revived-00025703). Less than a week after the [CDC extended](https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/13/us-extends-mask-mandate-for-airplanes-and-transit-by-15-days.html) the mask mandate for travel in response to rising [Omicron B2 variant infections](https://time.com/6143069/new-omicron-variant-ba2/), a federal judge vacated the [travel mask mandate](https://apnews.com/article/judge-strikes-down-mask-mandates-1fccaa750b6d42b6b609ef75d3c14c26). These legal rulings means that the authority of the CDC and departments of health are being limited. Like the virus, we need to recognize that how we are responding to COVID-19 has evolved. The April 2022, the new normal means that individuals, businesses, schools, and communities, will shoulder an increasing responsibility for controlling COVID-19\. The new normal is that “recommendation” will replace “mandate.” The new normal is that we work together in conjunction with public health to protect each other and ourselves. The new normal does not mean that [COVID-19 is over](https://www.science.org/content/article/when-pandemic-over?cookieSet=1) yet. **First, vaccinated or not, it is our duty not to infect others.** If one has COVID-19, we [need to isolate](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html). We need to know the symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested when we feel ill. Because up to [30% of individuals with COVID-19](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/omicron-higher-asymptomatic-carriage-rate-previous-covid-variants-delta-beta-b976047.html) may not have symptoms yet can spread to others, testing is especially important if one is going to be around medically vulnerable individuals, or in closed, crowded settings where there is increased risk of spread. [Over the counter](https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests) COVID-19 tests, which have excellent performance when used serially continue to need to be made widely available. **Second, we need to recognize the importance,** [**safety and efficacy**](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/covid19%5Fvaccine%5Fsafety.html) **of COVID-19 vaccinations** and booster shots for adults and children. Severe COVID-19 infection overwhelmingly now occurs in [unvaccinated individuals](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7104e2.htm). More than a third of COVID-19 vaccine-eligible individuals in the U.S. are [not vaccinated](https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations%5Fvacc-people-onedose-pop-5yr) and [misinformation](https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-misinformation-advisory.pdf) about COVID-19 vaccines have contributed to this problem. . **Third, we need to recognize those who are most** [**vulnerable**](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-care/underlyingconditions.html) to the adverse effects of the virus and make sure that these individuals remain protected. We also need to realize that individuals without medical conditions can get severe COVID-19, too. This protection comes in the form of vaccination and booster shots. We need to make sure that appropriate medical preventative therapies are used for those who are medically vulnerable. [Evusheld](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-new-long-acting-monoclonal-antibodies-pre-exposure) is a new combination monoclonal antibody treatment that markedly reduces one’s chance of getting COVID-19 if you are immunocompromised. However, only about 30% of [available Evusheld doses](https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/24/health/evusheld-unused/index.html) have been used. **Fourth, whether vaccinated or not, we need to make sure that when somebody gets COVID-19** that they can get treated with antiviral agents. The medications include [Paxlovid](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-first-oral-antiviral-treatment-covid-19) or Molnupiravir, and monoclonal antibodies[. Test-to-treat programs](https://aspr.hhs.gov/TestToTreat/Pages/default.aspx) need to be publicized and medication availability expanded. **Fifth, we need to realize that the way we track and publicly report COVID-19 infections** in communities may be outdated. With there being so many home tests, coupled with an absence of a standardized home testing reporting, we do not know the [true numbers](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/14/health/covid-cases-tracking.html) of those with COVID-19\. Public health officials along with the medical community will need to find and present this information in a unique way. [Wastewater testing](https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/surveillance/wastewater-surveillance/wastewater-surveillance.html) is one potential strategy as is random surveillance testing of those in the community or testing those seen in healthcare settings. **Six, we need to continue to rely on basic COVID-19 preventative measures**. COVID-19 is much less transmissible outdoors than indoors and spreads the greatest in closed, crowded spaces. Proper [indoor ventilation](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/ventilation.html) needs to become the new normal of [our indoor life](https://time.com/6143799/covid-19-indoor-air-cleaning/). Seven, face masks also have roles in COVID-19 mitigation, as the chance of becoming infected with or spreading COVID-19 is reduced if individuals wear a well-fitting, high-quality [face mask](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/easy-to-read/mask-guidance.html#:~:text=CDC%20recommends%20universal%20indoor%20masking,layered%20prevention%20strategies%20in%20place.). But face mask effectiveness may [vary with variant](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2822%2900100-3/fulltext). Face mask use can be facilitated by making high quality masks freely and widely available. We also must recognize how contentious the face mask issue has become and ask ourselves what their role is in layered mitigation strategies. For example, focusing on ventilation and COVID-19 screening alone may be sufficient to control COVID-19 spread without face mask use. The new normal means that we also need to be respectful of personal, business or community choices to wear or not wear a face mask. **Eight, we need the** [**medical community**](https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/surgeon-general-how-doctors-can-fight-covid-19-misinformation) **to continue to stand up** and be an authoritative source of information. Medicine has been long based on facts and data and public health measures. Increasingly we hear “talk to your trusted healthcare provider.” The medical community has an obligation to call out misstatements and set the facts straight. The medical community needs to step-up to counter false narratives and offer vaccines and boosters to those in their care. The medical community needs to play an even greater role in prescribing the new and effective COVID-19 therapeutics for this preventable and treatable disease. Barring further severe waves of infection, our collective response will be transitioning to individual persons, businesses, or local organizations. We now have vaccines, medications, and strategies to prevent, treat, and control COVID-19\. As before, public health will need to continue its critical role in this pandemic and ensure that COVID-19 control tools and therapeutics are available. Two years into this pandemic, it is for us to know how to and act to keep ourselves and others healthy and safe. ## Transcript Spike, surge and uptick are used fairly interchangeably. I think many people in healthcare would view a surge as something that has the potential to overwhelm the healthcare system or threaten the capacity of hospitals in a given area. Whereas an uptick, or an increase, or spike in cases is usually used a little bit more casually just to suggest that case counts are rising. The ways that the U.S. has been predicting when a spike is coming, one of them is just looking to other parts of the world. Europe and particularly the U.K., has been a good predictor for the U.S. throughout the pandemic, they started to see Delta cases and Omicron cases rising a few weeks before we did. So, looking at what's going on in other countries is very valuable, as is looking at metrics like testing. If more cases are being reported and if a higher percentage of tests are coming back positive, those are both indications that there's more virus spreading in the community. Scientists and researchers all over the world are monitoring COVID, of course. Particularly looking for new variants as the virus continues to evolve. And a lot of those efforts are coordinated through the World Health Organization. But also, independent labs are scientists who are sequencing COVID samples to look for new variants, will often sound the alarm for the rest of the world when they start to notice either the viruses evolving or that a certain variant is spreading more rapidly in certain area. For example, before the Omicron surge, that news came out of South Africa originally and that kind of let the rest of the world know that they needed to be aware this variant was coming. During a spike in cases, I think we can keep doing the things that health experts have really been recommending for the last couple years. A lot of vaccine and mask mandates have rolled back recently but that doesn't mean that masking and vaccination are not still effective or still necessary in certain situations. So if case levels are rising, or very high in your area, you might want to wear protective masks like a N95. When you go out into indoor areas in public, you might want to limit the time that you spend in public indoor areas. You should stay up to date on booster shots as they're recommended for different demographics. And you can take advantage of that home tests to test yourself before you gather with others to make sure that you're not unknowingly infected with the virus. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6170320/covid-19-new-normal-up-to-us/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6170320/covid-19-new-normal-up-to-us/"},"headline":"COVID-19 Is Now Preventable, Treatable, and Controllable. 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