PENNSYLVANIA, USA — New cell phone data shows more people are on the move again, and with more people going out - less precautions are being taken, despite the fact that the experts say the virus is still present.
Experts are still warning people they need to practice social distancing, however, analytics and marketing firm Cuebiq looked at data from cellphone users in more than 450 counties across the U.S. to determine how often people gathered away from their homes. It suggests that the number of gatherings in some counties is gradually approaching pre-covid numbers.
"I think it's just an innate drive to get back to a sense of normalcy," Adam Miller, Outpatient Clinic Director at WellSpan Philhaven, said.
Miller, and Dr. Melissa Brown, a psychologist at UPMC, said this lack of "caring" is a very real thing, called "caution" or "quarantine fatigue."
It can be caused by denial, uncertainty, and the unknown.
"People are just exhausted," Dr. Brown said. "And so they're seeing this coupled with stores opening, you can go get your haircut, you can do this, and they're just looking for anything to help them feel normal."
This week Governor Tom Wolf announced Pennsylvania is one of three states in the U.S. that has had a downward trajectory of COVID-19 cases for more than 42 days. He credits aggressive mitigation efforts.
Other states are seeing the opposite. But with "quarantine fatigue," could we be next?
"Absolutely," Miller said. "I think that if we get relaxed and stop taking the measures that have been successful so far, I think that a second wave is a definite possibility."
"It's not gone away," Dr. Brown said. "We don't have a vaccination for this and until we do, we're still going to be having to mitigate the effects of COVID-19."
If you find you're struggling internally with what you should or shouldn't do, both Miller and Dr. Brown said first, unplug. Go outside, clear your mind, do something good for your mental health. They advise continued caution by following CDC guidelines.