The coronavirus has uprooted life as we know it. Everything from our social gatherings to our daily errands has been completely changed and most of us are not too fond of the switch (to say the least). The whole world is eagerly awaiting a COVID-19 vaccine for the safety of ourselves and our loved ones and for the return of life as we know it.

Realistically and sadly, though, life will not go back to what it was for quite some time due to questions around the actual vaccine and how and when it will be distributed.

One thing that is important to remember: This is not going to be one of those light switch things when all of a sudden we have a vaccine and everyone is vaccinated. Its going to take some time, said Hilary Godwin , dean of the University of Washingtons School of Public Health. Were fortunate in that we have a number of vaccine candidates that are under development, but we really sped up the process enormously so the chance of any one of those being super effective is not great.

Life is going to look different for the next few years, but what exactly does that mean? Below, we spoke with experts in public health and mental health about what the world may look like after the anticipated COVID-19 vaccine arrives.

Expect the United States to change to a mask-wearing culture

A year from now, and even beyond that, Godwin expects to still see people wearing masks in public especially people who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.

I think a big part of the future will be greater expectations around masks. Mask-wearing has not been part of the culture in the United States for infectious disease control other than in clinical settings, she said.

Mask-wearing will become more normal, the way it has been in many Asian countries in recent years, she added. Well see a shift toward that.