In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, schools have been struck with the dilemma of how to continue educating students. While distance learning has been a struggle for students, staff, and parents, in-person learning poses a growing danger as COVID-19 cases in the United States continue to surge. Although the future of the pandemic remains unknown, people have started to speculate regarding the long-term effects of this massively influential period of time.

According to junior Livia Banavar, “Today the numbers are far greater than they were when schools were permanently shut down, but I think people are trying to work around this huge obstacle while maintaining a safe and healthy experience so as to not further spread the virus. In the future, schools will continue to monitor the numbers and make decisions based on what they think is best for their students, but I personally believe that the virus will still spread and any sort of in-person learning will eventually spread the virus further.”

Interpersonal contact among students has taken part in the rise of COVID-19 cases, deeming it essential for schools to take the case numbers into account when deciding whether or not to keep the school open for virtual learning. However, a crucial part of schools remaining open for in-person learning is the responsibility of students in making safe decisions for themselves and those around them.

Regarding the possibilities that lie in the future of the pandemic, freshman Lucy Dolan shared her thoughts.

“I think that coronavirus will have a long lasting effect and even if there is a vaccine people will still be cautious in public. I will probably keep on wearing a mask or at least bringing a mask with me in public even after there is a vaccine and cases go way down,” Dolan said.

The actions of individuals are highly influential on the spread of COVID-19, since their willingness to follow guidelines set by the Center for Disease Control greatly impacts the transmission of coronavirus. Therefore, the future of the pandemic is immensely dependent on whether or not students are compliant with the advice that stems from experts. If they exhibit frivolity in their response to the pandemic, the aftermath of their actions will lead to the prolongation of restrictions in response to COVID-19.