Fully Vaccinated but Anxious About a Return to Normal Life? You May Have ‘Cave Syndrome’ - The Wall Street Journal

Bustamante longed for the weekend nights when she used to drive into Manhattan to meet friends, often at karaoke bars in the Koreatown neighborhood.

She’s now fully vaccinated, and many New York City bars and restaurants have reopened.

Bustamante says she doesn’t feel ready to return to her pre-pandemic jaunts to the city, and she is only comfortable meeting friends there one-on-one, preferably outdoors.

“You look at social media, and you see some people out there having all that fun,” says the 49-year-old product-management consultant in suburban Rockland County, N.Y.

Ever since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the all-clear for vaccinated people to gather indoors without masks and resume pre-pandemic activities, many have eagerly returned to dining inside restaurants, attending parties and flying to see friends and family.