Warm temperatures have arrived, restaurants and bars are open for business, Americans are making plans to travel this summer and the scientists have given us a green light to reconnect with family and friends.

All these things and more have become a reality, but there is a certain amount of reticence that makes us just a bit skeptical that everything is really safe. This essay is about those things that everyone should keep in mind as the war on Covid comes to an end.

Probably the most prevalent thing we have done during the pandemic is wear masks. Just about everybody was masked for the last year or so. We really couldn’t go into any stores, businesses or schools without a mask that supposedly decreased the spread of the virus.

Now that medical advisers have said masks are not needed any longer, for the most part, are we going to give them up? What are the potential risks? Well, the experts are not sure if having Covid or being vaccinated means we will never contract the disease again. So, you should keep that in mind when you go to a crowded bar, Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden or travel commercially on trains, buses, subways or airplanes.

Most Americans seem inclined to get vaccinated. But there are many people who are not convinced the vaccines are safe and effective. Some think it’s all a hoax. Some believe it’s a Big Brother ploy of a sort. Anyway, a percentage of Americans will not be vaccinated. Are they endangering the rest of us? If 20% of Americans do not agree to be inoculated, does the risk of a recurrent pandemic increase? And, if the world does not get vaccinated, are we in danger? Keep in mind many foreigners visit the US annually.

It’s interesting to think about the speed at which Americans will return to normalcy. Will you throw your masks away today, tomorrow, next week, next month or next year? Will you wear a mask in crowded places prospectively? Will you send your children back to school? With or without masks? Will the teachers teach them in person? There are a lot of decisions to be made about how we lead our lives post Covid.

The most informed analysts believe that the road back to normalcy is a long one, even if there is a lot of action now. For instance, if you wash your hands ten times each day during Covid, will you reduce down to five or six times? Will you wipe off the equipment at your gym before exercising? Will you continue to carry wipes to restaurants to sanitize your hands before eating? I suspect most people will continue to be somewhat diligent, although eating inside restaurants seems to be picking up steam.

Of course, there are other issues that must be considered. How about your place of work? Will everyone be vaccinated? Is it illegal to force people to be vaccinated? Will un-vaccinated people be required to wear a red “V” on their shirts? Can you be required to work near an un-vaccinated coworker? Will there still be limited numbers of people on elevators? Can companies demand every employee come to work at the office? Will companies be flexible about stay at home worker preferences?

And finally, there are the federal, state and local government leaders. Will they try to influence how we live or allow Americans to make up their own minds about how much risk they are willing to assume. Or will leaders issue mandates.

But most important, how do we avoid another pandemic that might kill us all? Are we spending enough on research relating to deadly viruses, as compared to research for cancer another types of diseases?

I recommend that scientists spend more time thinking about existential risks to mankind.

I passed another Covid milestone yesterday, after having received my initial vaccine inoculation. The Covid experience has not been smooth sailing for me during the past year as I already had the virus and have been told that at my age, I’m vulnerable.

Logistically, I’ve had some issues as well. A few weeks ago, I returned from Miami, and schlepped to an armory in northern Manhattan. My wife was able to get me an appointment to receive the vaccine by making scores of phone calls to the facilities that are dispersing the vaccine. I arrived at the armory in time and was greeted by some very nice people who guided me through the process.

While filling out one of many questionnaires, there was a query about being out of the state within the last 10 days. This was the day after I arrived from Florida. I told my interviewer about my return to New York, who said I might not be able to get a vaccine because Florida was on the blacklist, meaning that one had to quarantine for 10 days upon arriving from the Sunshine State. Apparently, the Floridians are not following the rules.

No way would I lie; it would have been criminal and immoral to do so. I didn’t follow the eligibility standards, and so I had to wait several more days before I would be qualified to receive the vaccine. It really is an honor system that I hope not too many Americans are gaming. I would not be able to live with myself if I made someone sick inadvertently.

Ten days later, my wife began a new search for a vaccine appointment. Bingo. this time I schlepped from Manhattan to Queens and into an elementary school converted into a virus vaccination facility.

My wife dispatched my younger daughter to accompany me. Sometimes I get lost or run into trouble on my own. It’s not easy being over 70. My daughter handled all the paperwork for me and even filled out my application. She also served as my interpreter because I cannot understand anyone who speaks with a mask on their face.

To reiterate I’m aged, frequently get into trouble when visiting medical facilities and doctors, and I don’t hear so well. I inadvertently left my “ears” (hearing aid) at home.

I was chatting with a male nurse who was preparing to give me the vaccine. I begged him not to hurt me. I’m a little bit of a cry baby. He said it wouldn’t until tomorrow. I said thanks. The second day is supposed to be a real kick in the pants.

Every single person I interfaced with was respectful and polite. It was a well-organized. The only problem was that the place was not crowded. It’s no wonder the inoculations are taking so long. You call up for an appointment at a bunch of places, and they all claim they’re full. In the meantime, when you do get a time, there are empty seats and staff looking for someone to take care of.

So here I am. I had Covid, I had a high level of antibodies, I’m still masked and distanced at all times, I’m, vaccinated and still wondering whether I can contract Covid again, see my family safely, travel, pass the disease to others and so on. I even listened to Dr. Fauci and have 50 questions that remain unanswered.

It’s going to be a long haul. But at least the vaccine didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would.

Covid has literally turned our world upside down. The vicious disease has the entire world on edge. I find it hard to believe that everything is so out of control. And yet, there are so many Americans that are resisting authoritative demands to be more careful about how they live their lives during these times.

I spent time in Florida during the pandemic. While walking along the boardwalk in Miami, I witnessed a sinful attitude among so many fellow Americans. I estimate that over 80% of the of individuals walking, running, riding bicycles and parents strolling with young ones were not wearing masks. What a travesty. How could so many be so self-centered and uncaring for their neighbors?

One sick person in a small group can easily infect hundreds and even thousands of people. Relatives and friends of those infected on the boardwalk automatically become targets of this horrible disease.

So many of the clubs along the same route play loud music and several offer happy hour prices to lure in young people. Again, many were unmasked, and they were certainly not distancing. How can you live with yourself when you flagrantly defy orders to cover up and separate? How can you live with the fact that you carelessly made others ill and possibly killed a vulnerable innocent person?

The same holds true for medical experts and politicians who wantonly pass along guesses about the peril of the virus and encourage others to act normal in spite of the presence of the disease? Our leaders and medical experts should be working together, collaborating and giving us accurate and important data. How can we decide what to do with our families? Should the kids go to school or study remotely? Can you contract Covid a second time? Are young people not candidates to parish from the disease? How dangerous is it to fly on commercial airlines? To make good decisions for our families we need accurate assessments.

CEOs and boards of directors of major companies have been forced to make life and death decisions for their employees. It’s not that simple to allow employees to work from home when a business is dependent upon workers selling face to face or assembling products. And what about eateries and grocery stores? These people need to come to work and be exposed to more danger than most.

Our leaders and lawmakers must set priorities, not use the pandemic as a political football. They should be focused on the disease because it, or a stronger related virus, might be capable of wiping out the human race. Really, how can we not take the threat seriously? The disease has ruined our lives for a year to this point. Are we going to let it prevent us from having a normal existence for another year or two? Are we going to take the chance that Covid can kill every one of us?

It’s time all Americans and other countries around the world recognize that we are at war with an enemy that is more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction. Most of our focus should be on wiping out the disease.

You may ask what can we do short-term to protect ourselves? It’s the same old story over and over again. Wear masks, distance, wash your hands thoroughly every time you are near a bathroom and avoid crowds.  

I’ve been sitting around thinking about “My Life in Covid.” This will be the title of my book, if I ever sit down and write about the misery, deaths, politics, depression, unhappiness and despair of the time.

I was a very early victim of Covid. I’m in the vulnerable age group, but clean living, exercise, no alcohol and good food helped me beat the disease. Actually, I slept for most of the time that I was in the grip of the virus. Thankfully, I had no idea, nor did any of the experts, that I was in great jeopardy. If I had known, I probably would have suffered a nervous breakdown. Kudos to my family for nursing me back to health.

When I think of all the things that I do and don’t do since this freaking virus ruined our world, I’m amazed. It’s a wonder I have been able to keep busy and be somewhat productive. I’ve read scores of books (mostly junk novels), read newspapers, did crossword puzzles, discovered a new word play game in the Times called “Two Not Touch,” exercised two or three times a day, ate five times a day and paid bills.

I’m blessed with adult children who have stayed with my wife and me for extended periods. The game competitions are heated as are the political conversations. Everyone except me has a real job, so most of the day, family members isolate in different rooms zooming with their colleagues. But what have I been doing since March of last year?

The most obvious thing is that when I go outside, I concentrate on keeping a mask properly situated on my face and staying away from all people I encounter. The good news is that Central Park is nearby, but there are many more people to avoid in that section of New York City. Walking is supplemented by frequent yoga instruction, via computer, and weightlifting. We purchased weights for our apartment because our gym has been closed indefinitely. For a time, there were no weights available online anywhere in the country. Many had the same idea we had, to workout at home.

The bigger issue is what I have not been doing. My wife and I are typical city dwellers, and so before the flu, we ate at local restaurants with family and business contacts several times a week. I would say that not being able to dine out has been one of the biggest issues for me. I never realized how important our restaurant regime was to our lifestyle and social life.

We have no young children so dealing with whether schools are teaching in person or via the Internet is not an issue for us, although it’s a huge problem for many people in the City.

But, what do we do for entertainment? We can’t see the Yankees, Mets, Knicks or Rangers. The New York City Ballet is closed, Broadway is shut down and SoulCycle has ceased operations.

Since restaurant dining is not in the cards as the temperature drops, where is global warming when you need it, I go grocery shopping to make dinner for my wife. Eli’s seems to be profiting in the time of Covid. They have not reduced their prices.

I have tons of family and in-laws in the City, along with a plethora of nieces and nephews. It’s been a full-time job to avoid and condemn family get togethers. The mayor and governor have effectively put a clamp on parties for the holidays. This has caused significant agita for most people. My father in law and his wife are insistent on having dinners and meals with the clan, but we must continue to dissuade them. In fact, they are the most vulnerable.

It would be terrific to drop everything and fly out to Vail or down to Miami for a few days, but the infectious disease gurus say flying is dangerous. I guess we know that to be a fact. Being confined in a long metal tube with re-circulated air with 200 potential carriers of the bug would appear to be a dangerous environment to be in for a couple of hours.

The world is on the cusp of benefiting from a vaccine. It was created in record time, in part, due to the efforts of President Trump. The man is universally despised, so let’s give him some love for getting the medical people to move rapidly. But there are a lot of unanswered questions. Like, who is going to receive the vaccine first? I assume first responders, for saving us, deserve to be at the top of the list. Old, vulnerable people should have a priority. Our government leaders and teachers are essential. But what happens next? The little ones get inoculated, do 15 to 30-year-olds come next or do 31 to 59-year-old individuals get the magical potion? Are City dwellers higher on the list and then ruralites? Should poor people have a position in the front of the line? And what about the rest of the world? Are we only going to be saving Americans and the other seven billion people be damned?

We need somewhere between seven and 14 billion doses of vaccine, depending upon whether you get a one-shot vaccine or a two-shot vaccine. Just imagine the politicians arguing over who should be immunized first, second and third. Maybe Democrats should come before Republicans because they control the greatest part of the government.

The return to normalcy is also an enigma. When will it be OK to fly in a plane, take a subway, ride in an elevator, eat in a restaurant, work at the office, go to school physically, not wear a mask, not distance from others, kiss a loved one on the face, go to a religious celebration, go to a funeral, have a beer with friends? Is it five minutes after you get the vaccine, or one year?