TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — This week marks two years since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic.
Now, restrictions and mandates are loosening up almost everywhere. Dan Baldassini tries not to worry about Covid-19. He’s young, healthy and vaccinated.
“We just have to get it on with being normal and live with it,” Baldassini said.
The head of the CDC said this week that the coronavirus is likely here to stay, and it’ll probably become a seasonal virus like the flu that spreads during the winter months.
USF Health’s Dr. Michael Teng agrees with the CDC, saying, we’re not done with this yet.
“It’s a little early to kind of give up on trying to control transmission because we do have this potential for variants to spread still,” Teng said. “You have billions of people out there that are not immune to this virus and so that’s going to keep the virus circulating, which then allows for the development of more variants, which causes waves.”
Earlier this week, Florida became the first state in the country to recommend against Covid-19 vaccines for healthy children, which contradicts guidance from the CDC. Dr. Teng doesn’t believe we have good control of the virus yet.
“When things are not as bad you can let your guard down a little bit but prepare to have to put everything back on, all the protection layers back on,” Teng said. “When we start seeing rising case counts, rising hospitalizations again.”
As for Baldassini, he remains hopeful as the country enters a new phase.
“I made my choice, and everyone should be to make their choice and if it’s been around forever, then let’s live with it,” Baldassini said.
