As we slowly start to approach the one year mark of having to bunker down and go into quarantine together, COVID-19 is still alive and well here in the United States.

With vaccinations circulating at slower rates than expected, coronavirus is obviously still a major concern in this country. Despite these worries, many have begun to go back to their “normal” schedule and lifestyles.

Before COVID-19, going to concerts and attending live music events were a common pastime for me as well as many others. The feeling of going to see one of your favorite artists live or even discovering something new is a feeling like no other. However, attending concerts and events such as these in a time like this could obviously pose as a large health risk to many.

An article by Vox mentions, “2020 hit the live music industry hard. With restrictions on indoor and outdoor gathering in place worldwide — not to mention quarantine and lockdown orders due to the relentless unpredictability of the Covid-19 pandemic — attending concerts was nigh impossible this year.”

Along with the pandemic came creative ways for fans and music lovers to enjoy their favorite artists with virtual shows and interactive online concerts. But as time has continued, coronavirus doesn’t seem to be exiting the stage anytime soon.

With that, live shows have begun to make a comeback in several venues across the state and country. This begs the question, should these live shows be taking place? While some shows and venues enforce social distancing and safety guidelines in order to ensure the well-being of others, it is unrealistic to believe that this takes place at every show.

A Healthline article reported on an experiment done to examine how COVID-19 could be spread during a live show. The story reports that researchers concluded, “the risk of potential exposure to aerosol droplets, which can contain the virus that causes COVID-19, increased substantially when the venue had a poor ventilation system or failed to implement precautions.”

At this point, COVID-19 is in no way a new concept. Therefore, people must make their decisions based on their own discretion. There are guidelines to follow and safety precautions to take, but at the end of the day, each person will make their decision to follow them or not.

Concerts and live shows are not only enjoyable, but bring people together. While some may think it’s perfectly okay to attend live shows, others may find the idea terrifying.

The thought of getting to stand in a crowd in a positive environment and scream lyrics to your favorite song is something we probably all need right now. Maybe we’ll be able to get that soon, maybe we won’t. Either way, it is still important more than ever to keep ourselves, as well as others, healthy and safe.

As we continue on in 2021 with a little more hope, may we remember that positive days are ahead. Though things may never be completely “normal” again, there will hopefully be a time where we can buy tickets to that music festival or big concert again.