A Harvard University study says absent an effective vaccine for the novel coronavirus, the U.S. may have to endure some form of social distancing into the year 2022.
"We projected that recurrent wintertime outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 will probably occur after the initial, most severe pandemic wave. Absent other interventions, a key metric for the success of social distancing is whether critical care capacities are exceeded," the study's authors wrote.
"To avoid this, prolonged or intermittent social distancing may be necessary into 2022," it said.