Well after the president declares America reopened for business, the nation could remain mired in a slow-rolling crisis defined by constant death, decimated consumer confidence and a fundamental shift in the patterns of everyday life.

“This is largely going to be a story of accommodating to new risks in our lives,” said David Rubin, director of PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “This is about behavior change.”

That undercurrent is increasingly at odds with a White House that’s signaled plans to press ahead into a new phase of the response focused on the economic recovery. It’s rhetorical ground seen as far more favorable to Trump as he eyes reelection, and comes amid polling showing frustration over the administration's handling of the pandemic.

“When it comes to rebuilding the economy and getting people back to work, the president has significant advantages over Joe Biden right now,” said one adviser to the Trump campaign. “If there’s a sense we’ve recovered from this, and there’s a sense the economy’s getting better, he’ll be OK.”

Buoyed by indications that the U.S. has hit its peak for new daily coronavirus cases and signs of a ramp-up in testing capacity, the Trump administration over the past week has begun making its case, touting the country’s staggered reopening over the next month as key to jump-starting a dormant economy.

“I think we’re going to have a phenomenal third quarter,” Trump said Monday, forecasting fresh economic growth as states ease their lockdowns. “With a tragedy that this country had to endure and go through, with all of the death and the people that died and were so badly hurt by what happened, and you can only say God bless them — but if you would’ve said that our country would be in the position we’re in now — we’re ready to move forward.”

But many public health officials offer a less optimistic assessment. They warn the U.S. is still the early innings of its coronavirus response — and nowhere close to vanquishing the disease.

After a slow start, the Trump administration has spent the past three months racing to keep pace with the pandemic and get the virus under control. Yet as states start lifting their distancing restrictions, it also boosts the odds of reigniting a new round of outbreaks.

“I don’t think they understand that,” said a former senior official at the Department of Health and Human Services. “We’re going to be in containment mode for the next 12, 18, 24 months.”

In a statement, White House spokesman Judd Deere defined the administration as in an “ongoing war with an invisible enemy,” emphasizing that efforts to reopen the country will be based on “science-based guidelines to slow the spread, a blueprint for testing and a data-driven plan.”

“We don’t define winning a war by the casualty count; winning is protecting the health and safety of our great Nation, saving lives, and reigniting our economy,” he said.