We can’t say we’re in a post-pandemic period yet. But large segments of the public are embracing pre-COVID norms, a fact that’s maddening for those who are — or must — continue taking precautions.

“It’s definitely weird,” said Bob Wachter, chairman of the University of California, San Francisco Department of Medicine.

“We’re going back to work, which is a little odd. We’re not sure whether to do handshakes or fistbumps,” he said. “Every encounter is this little negotiation with the people ‘Do you want to? Do I want to?’ It’s all very odd.”