Last week, Ohio health officials released information showing that the peak of coronavirus cases in the state may not be as severe as originally believed.

But, as Gov. Mike DeWine and state health director Amy Acton said, this is due to the strong steps the state has taken to mitigate the spread of the disease.

By limiting public gatherings and closing schools early, the chances of the virus spreading were greatly reduced.

As health officials have pointed out, eliminating the restrictions too early and rushing to reopen things before the curve of infection has declined will only lead to cases surging and all of the work Ohio has done being for naught.

One of the biggest challenges in this crisis will be fatigue, as the weeks of being ordered to stay home add up, some may call for a rush to reopen things.

That is why it is so important for people to understand how the mitigation efforts have worked and to be patient.

If there is a spike in cases due to a premature reopening, all of the restrictions will have to go into place once again and the entire process will start over.

So please, be patient and continue to do what you’re doing.

Avoid going out unless absolutely necessary, keep practicing social distancing and maintain strong hygiene.

We are all tired of being cut off from the world and are eager for normalcy to return, and the only way that is going to happen is if we follow this through and listen to the medical experts.

There is nothing to be gained from rushing things and everything, including potentially thousands of lives, to lose.