Parents sending kids back into the world feel their own separation anxiety.
"The parents are a little anxious. They’re eager to get out, but they’re leaving their child with somebody again," said Klein, author ofAfter a year on heightened alert, it's difficult for some parents to put their guard down until kids are vaccinated. Children can still spread the virus, and because we don't know long-term effects, parents aren't solely worried about deaths when they worry about COVID.
Lindsay Leslie, a mother of two in Austin, Texas, said getting vaccinated and understanding the risks made her feel ready to get back out there"in a reasonable way," though you won't catch her at a concert or other large event. "We understand the risk factors now and know that life in this virtually, holed-up existence is not sustainable," she said.