| Coronavirus cases are on the climb in many U.S. states, but it's still not clear exactly what role the rolling reopening of the economy is playing in the new wave of infections. States including Florida, Arizona, Texas and California are seeing signs the pandemic is continuing to spread. Those surges have raised alarms among experts even as they're masked by the nation's overall case count, which early this week climbed just under 1%, the smallest increase since March. But at the same time, in Georgia, where businesses such as hair salons and tattoo parlors have been operating for several weeks, cases have plateaued.  Clients participate in a class at an Orangetheory Fitness gym in Atlanta in May. Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg It's a thorny problem for public-health experts who want to prevent a new national wave of infections that could interrupt efforts to get America back to work. It could take several more weeks for definitive signs that cases are booming more widely, at which time it could be too late to prevent an even wider outbreak. The U.S. has long been bracing for another wave of the coronavirus, but future outbreaks are likely to take a different shape. Precautions like social distancing and mask-wearing, as well as careful behavior by individuals, are likely to have staying power in many parts of the country even as economies reopen. Still, the real test may not arrive until autumn when changes in weather and back-to-school plans could have damaging repercussions. A second wave isn't likely to look like the first round of infections that roiled the U.S., but it's critical to read the early signs correctly.—Emma Court | 
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