Up, then down, then up again. The curious case of COVID-19 has yet to be solved, however, after a nearly four-month-long increase in the number of national cases things are starting to look better again. The chaos that has been our reality for the past two years, is starting to look a little less chaotic and a little more like the forgotten days before COVID-19. Where masks were not the norm, where smiles were seen and social distancing was a term we had never heard, when this virus didn’t plague our everyday lives.

There are five stages of COVID-19 a state can be in: stage one means the disease is not present yet but that exposure is near, stage two occurs just after cases have started to appear but the state is still operating somewhat normally, stage three is the peak of infection (this is when states tend to enter lockdown), stage four is when cases begin to drop after a spike although restrictions are still in place, and stage five is when all restrictions are lifted, this stage is called “The New Normal.” Currently, Missouri is at stage four, following an extreme spike in COVID-19 cases. From December 24, 2021 cases in Missouri have been in a steep upward climb, after January 24th cases finally began to decrease, and in recent weeks this trend has been even more extreme in recent weeks. 

As of the beginning of February, there was over a 50% drop in cases, the first speck of hope we have had since the new year. Looking back to past viruses and the rise and fall of cases overtime before things started to level out, we can see that, as far as COVID-19 is concerned, we are on the path to recovery. We are on the path to mask-free days and unsocially distanced fun. While it’s unfortunate to have to read through another update, it’s hopeful to know that we are getting closer to a new normal.