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Two years of wearing masks, avoiding crowds, and trying not to catch COVID-19 had a welcome, if unplanned, byproduct: many people caught fewer colds and stomach bugs. But that could soon change. At the end of the month, Massachusetts will no longer require masks in schools and has dropped its recommendation that healthy vaccinated people wear masks indoors. Doctors say that means we should brace ourselves for the return of common infections many people have blissfully dodged for the past two years.

"You will see a lot of anecdotal reports that the primary care offices and urgent cares are a little slammed," said Dr. Christina Hermos, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center.

Social measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus have disrupted the transmission of many common pathogens around the world, most notably the flu. The flu virus barely made an appearance last winter and is still markedly lower than normal this season. Viruses that cause common colds and stomach flu have also been curtailed, to varying degrees.

But as people resume social activities, doctors and scientists don't expect the respite to last.

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