--- title: What It Feels Like Everyone Is Acting Like COVID-19 Is Over description: With the end of the federal mask mandate and many people ready to return to "normal," vulnerable people are having to make even more difficult decisions to protect themselves from COVID-19. canonical: https://time.com/6170489/covid-19-pandemic-not-over-feelings/ author: Aubrey Hirsch article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2022-04-26T12:56:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-06-01T06:57:43.162Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Why It's Not Time to Celebrate the End of COVID-19 og:description: Many Americans are acting like the pandemic is over. Here's what it feels like when you're not og:url: https://time.com/6170489/covid-19-pandemic-not-over-feelings/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt170823cc99979798/698a313d09208f51f5419178/IsCovidOverHeader.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: IsCovidOverHeader og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why It's Not Time to Celebrate the End of COVID-19 twitter:description: Many Americans are acting like the pandemic is over. Here's what it feels like when you're not twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt170823cc99979798/698a313d09208f51f5419178/IsCovidOverHeader.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Many Americans Are Celebrating the End of COVID-19\. Here's What It Feels Like When You're Not ## 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. With the end of the federal mask mandate and many people ready to return to "normal," vulnerable people are having to make even more difficult decisions to protect themselves from COVID-19._ by [Aubrey Hirsch](https://time.com/author/aubrey-hirsch/) ## Aubrey Hirsch Apr 26, 2022 12:56 PM UTC  Illustration by Aubrey Hirsch for TIME by [Aubrey Hirsch](https://time.com/author/aubrey-hirsch/) ## Aubrey Hirsch Apr 26, 2022 12:56 PM UTC People across the United States are ditching their masks, resuming their lives, and celebrating the end of COVID-19\. But for millions of Americans, [the pandemic is far from over](https://time.com/6165812/covid-case-count-united-states/). An estimated 40% of U.S. adults have at least two conditions that put them at increased risk for severe COVID-19, and [parents of young children are still waiting for a vaccine](https://time.com/6170315/omicron-covid-19-risks-kids-under-5/). Now that so many people are [moving on from the pandemic](https://time.com/6147080/moving-on-from-covid-19/), these vulnerable populations face even bigger challenges. With vaccines and masks no longer required in most public spaces, including [public transportation and airplanes](https://time.com/6168383/which-airlines-require-masks/), they will have to make difficult sacrifices to protect their health. And others will have no choice but to put themselves at risk.          --- ### More from TIME --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6170489/covid-19-pandemic-not-over-feelings/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6170489/covid-19-pandemic-not-over-feelings/"},"headline":"Many Americans Are Celebrating the End of COVID-19. 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