Thread by @edyong209

Back to writing about the pandemic. I wrote about how the US might react to the traumas of the last 14 months in the quiet moments after adrenaline fades.
It's about what happens when you can finally exhale, but the breaths come out as sighs. 1/

theatlantic.com/health/archive…

I spoke to people who study trauma & work with communities post-disasters. They told me these moments can be unexpectedly tough. If you’ve been swimming furiously for a year, you don’t expect to finally reach dry land and feel like you’re drowning. 2/

theatlantic.com/health/archive…

The timeframe for recovering from disasters is long, and often exceed the lifespan of human compassion and attention. I think it's worth thinking now about people who'll be left behind as the nation heads towards a brighter summer. 3/
theatlantic.com/health/archive…

The pandemic has also been something of a self-reinforcing disaster. Past research shows that communities are better at coping w/ extreme traumas if they have: confidence in authorities; a sense of belonging; and community solidarity. And, well... 😬

theatlantic.com/health/archive…

There's more in the piece, which I hope you'll read. I'll continue to cover the pandemic, and also (for the sake of my own mental health) non-pandemic science stories too. /Fin

theatlantic.com/health/archive…

I also talked to James Hamblin and Maeve Higgins about this piece, and recovering from pandemic trauma, on the ever-excellent Social Distance podcast. theatlantic.com/health/archive…