Some Memorial Day crowds seemed large and people were not self-distancing. They were jammed in swimming pools, on crowded boardwalks and watching auto racing. Most without masks.

It seems that many want to reopen the economy and break out of isolation regardless of the risks. They are tired of lockdowns and restrictions.

However, recent polling still shows the large majority of Americans are fearful of re-entering into normal daily activities such as work, shopping, hair care, and being around large groups of people. These people also get angry when they see others flaunting rules and regulations promulgated by Health Departments.

Dr. Kenneth Johnson, executive dean of the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University and a frequent guest of the Spectrum Podcast, reminds us that the dangers of the virus are still present and probably will be until we find therapeutic drugs or a vaccine.

It has not gone away, says Johnson, the chief medical affairs officer at Ohio University and chair of the Ohio Council of Medical School Deans. As we re-open the country, the Coronavirus remains a very real threat.

Opening the economy, in fact, allows more people asymptomatically carrying the virus to mingle with others thereby increasing the possibility of spread.

Many citizens and experts alike are fearing a resurgence of the virus and increased hospitalizations and deaths as more stay-at-home orders are lifted.

Dr. Johnson is a strong proponent of mask wearing to not only protect the wearer but those around him or her. He also advocates for continued social distancing, even as we move to open greater parts of our society.

On this edition of Spectrum, Dr. Johnson talks about the COVID-19 virus and the dangers we still face – especially in the Midwest and in rural areas where numbers of cases are rapidly increasing.

He also warns us that children are not immune from the virus and that this virus appears to be mutating as it spreads. This causes even great alarm among medical experts.

Dr. Johnson gives us some tips on how we can re-emerge into some sense of normalcy while we still maintain some degree of protection.