Indy doctor predicts what ‘new normal’ will look like as pandemic turns endemic

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Health authorities believe life after the pandemic will look very different than prior to its arrival. 

News 8 spoke with Dr. Christopher Doehring, vice president of medical affairs at Franciscan Health, who explains what ‘living with the virus’ may look like as the pandemic turns endemic when respiratory virus season hits. 

“It’s actually pretty fascinating because for the last couple of decades we’ve seen people internationally from Asian countries where they’ve dealt with SARS and some of these types of viruses…they’d wear masks when they traveled and that was very foreign to us,” he said. “We never saw people masking. We’d frequently be on a plane right next to a person who’s coughing…and you knew within a couple of days you were going to have that same cough.”

In addition to taking precautions while flying, Doehring predicts some may choose to socially distance and mask up indoors. Others will amp up their hygiene game by being hyper-vigilant about washing hands and cleaning surfaces 

He also says keeping up with vaccinations will be key in keeping everyone healthy and safe.