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Imagine for a moment that we\u2019ve just received a message from an alien race in a galaxy far, far away.

\u201cHey, Earthlings,\u201d it reads. \u201cWant to hang out?\u201d

Despite Elon Musk\u2019s protests, our response would probably be something along the lines of \u201cWe\u2019re in a weird place right now . . . can you call back later?\u201d

While the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be behind us, and most countries have begun reopening, many restrictions remain in place around the world. Social distancing, mask wearing, occupancy limitations, and border closures are all in effect, and now the question on everyone\u2019s mind is, When can we open up completely?

After all, the original goal of the lockdowns, social distancing, and so forth was to \u201cflatten the curve\u201d\u2014to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed by an onslaught of COVID-19 patients\u2014but that threat never seemed to materialize.

For example, in New York City, one of the hardest hit areas in the U.S., hospitals reached about 85% capacity, and intensive care units hit about 90% capacity during the worst phase of the pandemic. High, yes, but not overflowing.

In Virginia, 75% of ventilators and nearly 6,000 hospital beds were unused or empty back in April, and that number is likely much lower now. Instead of increasing demand for doctors, the pandemic resulted in thousands of healthcare workers being laid off due to a reduction in non-COVID-19-related visits.

What\u2019s more, the CDC reports that people exhibiting flu- or COVID-19-like symptoms only made up about 7% of total hospitalizations in the U.S. in March, and now it\u2019s under 2%.

In other words, the curve was flattened.

However, now the target seems to have changed from \u201cflattening the curve\u201d to \u201cfinding a cure,\u201d which, while laudable, is a goal that could take years to bear fruit.

Thus, our current predicament has divided society into two camps.

On the one hand, many people want to begin strategically reopening certain places, based on the available evidence and careful cost-benefit analyses of what that would mean for the population.

On the other hand, there are those that think any further reopenings would be reckless, and until we find a cure, concoct a vaccine, or have all but eradicated COVID-19, we need to get used to \u201cthe new normal.\u201d

While only time will tell who\u2019s right in the main, a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Oslo offers some guidance on what would happen if countries were to open one kind of business\u2014gyms.

Before we look at what they discovered, let\u2019s quickly examine a more fundamental question that relates to reopenings on the whole.

If you want to learn about gym reopening, listen to this episode!

Time Stamps:

15:38 - Has the cure become worse than the disease?

22:07 - Will reopening gyms increase the risk of catching or spreading the virus?

30:56 - Is the gym safe?

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Mentioned on the show:

Books by Mike Matthews: legionathletics.com/products/books/

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