After the release of the Covid-19 vaccine, experts have been swarming with predictions on how life will drastically change in the months to come. Even though the United States is slowly taking steps towards a new normal, there are various aspects about life that experts say will remain the same. 

According to the New York Times, Dr. Anthony Fauci states that everyone will be more conscious about the germs around them, likely affecting the way they might interact with each other. 

“I’m sure people will get back to shaking hands. I think people will probably become more aware of personal hygiene and protecting [themselves]. That doesn’t mean nobody will shake hands again, nor does it mean everybody will go back to the way we did it again,” said Fauci.

Activities such as going to concerts or simply going to the movies will be something that will be dependent based on the level of infection. 

According to the New York Times, individuals are allowed to eat in indoor places as long as they are social distancing, though it is not encouraged. Even with the vaccine, experts are saying that this is not likely to change in the near future.

“I don’t expect to go out to things until a certain population has been vaccinated,” said Micheal Perez-Guerra, geometry teacher. 

According to New York Times, masks will be here to stay and so will certain health practices.

 “In the new normal, there may be more mask-wearing during flu season or in crowded places because awareness has been raised. And there will probably be more systems in place to prevent pandemics from being as deadly,” said Delivette Castor, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Columbia. 

Some of the precautions taken in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 may have benefits in other areas as well. Experts have stated that with masks being used, the widespread impact of other illnesses, such as the flu, will decrease drastically. 

“I think some of the sanitation routines by the teachers will stay and people will be more aware of germs and hygiene and being good about that,” said Allison Manning, 10. 

With all these changes, however, there are also constants that are predicted to stay the same for the next school year.

For the current school year, everyday procedures will not change at all because the students won’t receive the vaccine in time and masks are going to continue on until next school year, Perez-Guerra said. How much things change next year also depends on how many people get vaccinated and if the vaccine will still be effective for the next strain of the virus, Perez-Guerra said.  

Along with the experts, many individuals feel like life after the vaccine will not be going back to “normal” for some time. 

“[The vaccine] could make life go back to normal, but it also could take a while – especially having to take two doses. I hope it’s a positive impact though,” Manning said.