“I think there will be a new ‘normal’ after COVID-19. Nothing will completely the same as it was before. There are so many businesses that closed permanently, many of our favorite people have passed away, and though many businesses are reopening, the way we carry ourselves as it pertains to hygiene will be different. It will be a big adjustment period.”

Olivia James | @afroliviaa

“I don’t think we’ll see what we used to call ‘normal’ again for a long time. Face masks and social distancing will likely overstay their welcome—and rightfully so—until there’s some sort of vaccine. Conversations about all the bizarre things that happened in 2020 will carry on, with hopes 2021 isn’t any crazier.”‘

Gabrielle Martinez | @martinez_g0

“There is no going back to normal after a year like 2020. This year highlighted the many faults in different branches of our government. Now officials need to be held accountable and correct the failures that have been shown to the American people. The administration’s faults in dealing with the pandemic cost us over 200,000 American lives. Many families will never be the same. Government officials must take the necessary actions to implicate those responsible for this.” 

Tamia Southall | @tamiabrem_
“I sure hope  we will be ‘getting back to normal’ come 2021. I cannot imagine not returning to normal. Living like this has been such a challenge for all of us so I think we all need to do what we can to make a safe return to normalcy. With a vaccine coming soon and herd immunity continuing to happen I think we can be back to our regular lives relatively soon. The masks might stay a little longer, but I am certain that we can come back and better than ever!”

Elizabeth Crochet | @elizabethcro_

“While I’m sure we’ll eventually embrace large public gatherings again, that won’t happen until a vaccine is made publicly available. Many Americans, if not most, will remember the impact COVID-19 had on our communities and the dismissive and sometimes outright cruel reactions from some of our peers. For some, it may feel ‘normal’ to go to the bar right now. Personally, that moment is a ways away.”

Kevin Doucette | @kgdouce

“Even if returning to ‘normal’ is possible, I don’t think we should. The reality of the pandemic in America is that over 200,000 are dead. That number is unimaginable. If we ever get to a point where we can resume our usual day-to-day life — not wearing masks when sick/symptomatic, not routinely teaching basic hygiene, not cleaning public spaces on a regular schedule — we should consider what that means to those who have lost their lives and those who have lost loved ones. Are we really that bad at learning our lesson? We shouldn’t ‘go back to normal’ and just sit around and wait for the next deadly pandemic to strike. We should learn from this episode in history and continue to implement the safety procedures we’ve become accustomed to.”

Marie Plunkett | @MarieC_214

“I hope I am wrong, but I have an unnerving impression that our customary expectations of ‘normal’ will have to be thrown out and redefined. Long after vaccines have been distributed and the virus has subsided, the world will still be haunted by what’s happened in these past seven months. This year has left many feeling cautious and paranoid. Moreover, I would not be surprised if mask wearing and social distancing become everyday occurrences in our post-pandemic lives. Just as 9/11 forever changed the way we travel by air, perhaps the coronavirus will alter how we interact in public.”  

Evan Leonhard | @evan_leonhard

“The idea of ‘going back to normal; is an interesting one, as realistically our world is irreparably changed by this year’s events. From COVID-19 to questions of social justice, the year 2020 will not end on a return to pre-pandemic life… at least not immediately. Realistically there won’t be a return to normal, but a creation of a new normal — at least until a vaccine is widespread, effectively inoculating the population against the virus. Unless we enact a ‘new normal,’ the pandemic will become the reality we get used to. Let’s use this moment as a harbinger for a new age. We must move forward, not backwards.”

Domenic Purdy | @tigerdom16