New Glarus, Wisconsin | Australians and Americans – despite staggering differences in how their countries have handled the pandemic – are increasingly on the same page when it comes to getting back to their old offices: they're keen.

Even as the US officially recorded its 200,000th COVID-19-related death – and health experts warn that number is set to double in months with the coming flu season – a growing proportion of Americans feel safe about returning to an office environment.