'I feel really burned out with this whole thing.' As the Omicron variant surged across the US this winter, many Americans found their lives once again upended as the illusion was shattered that the country was approaching a return to pre-pandemic life.
.zn-body-text h3:not:not:before {margin:30px auto 20px;} .pg.t-light .zn-body-text h3 {text-align:center; font-weight:700;} Heading into the new year, 24-year-old Heather McClintock had hoped she and her fiancé could finally move beyond the stress of the Covid-19 pandemic and focus on their future -- namely their wedding in September.
Instead, amid a highly transmissible variant still gripping large swaths of the nation, they have found their lives perpetually disrupted by the virus in recent weeks as they cared for infected family members, set out on epic scavenger hunts for tests and were consumed with worries about whether they and their friends could stay safe at a time when many employers are asking workers to return after shorter periods of quarantine.