New research suggests that social distancing may be needed until 2022 to prevent another wave of the potentially life-threatening coronavirus.
In a report published in Science Mag, scientists warn the pandemic could be even more severe if it hits again. Lifting self isolation measures may only delay the spread of the bug, but might not be enough to tackle the virus. "We projected that recurrent wintertime outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 will probably occur after the initial, most severe pandemic wave," the scientists wrote. "Absent other interventions, a key metric for the success of social distancing is whether critical care capacities are exceeded. "To avoid this, prolonged or intermittent social distancing may be necessary into 2022." Using