The consequences of ending early - Is a second wave of COVID-19 inevitable?

America is in lockdown. As the COVID-19 virus spreads to just about every corner of America and the planet for that matter, extreme measures are being brought in by various levels of local, state and the federal government to help contain the spread of this virus that is growing in near exponential numbers daily.

Despite the White House advising all Americans to practice social distancing, the number of coronavirus cases in the US continues to rise. So, governors across the nation are taking stronger action by issuing stay-at-home orders in their states.

By March 30, at least 27 states will have those orders in effect. Those states contain more than 225 million people -- more than two-thirds of the country's population. CNN - March 28

And as Americans comply with these orders, there’s a growing anticipation about when people will be able to return to work and resume a semi-normal routine. Some are saying weeks, others indicating months. But the reality is, as much as many yearn for normalcy, going back too early could come with even steeper consequences than waiting the epidemic out.

If there is a second wave of COVID-19 infections – it could be disastrous.

• What would a second wave look like and how would it spread?
• Can people be re-infected?
• Does America have the front-line capacity to take on another fresh round of infections?
• Can the country’s stretched medical system handle more patients?
• And how much longer would it take to try and contain the spread of COVID-19 for a second time?

There are a lot of questions to be answered, and that’s where our experts can help.

Dr. Zach Jenkins is an infectious disease expert at Cedarville University. He is available to speak with media about this topic – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.