WHYY: Ending work from home post-COVID: What will it be like?

COVID-19 restrictions are ending. Mask mandates for vaccinated people are lifting. Life as we knew it is on its way back, though maybe with a few tweaks. What will that be like? WHYY’s Health Desk Help Desk spoke with an epidemiologist and a behavioral health specialist about how to approach personal interactions in a post-pandemic world. Many people couldn’t work from home and essential workers put their lives at risk to keep necessities like supermarkets, transportation, and health services open. For those of us who could, there will be a transition, said Carolyn Cannuscio, associate professor of family medicine and community health at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. “There will be a jolt when it comes time to wake up, get dressed, and go to the office. We should be prepared for the exhaustion that comes with increased social interaction. I’ve heard some of my students and colleagues who have returned to laboratory settings say that they’re surprised by just how much energy it takes to be talking face-to-face,” she said. Read and listen more at WHYY.