No one knows when the pandemic will be over and Trail use will be encouraged again. No one knows if a southbound hike will be a viable option from the standpoint of the A.T. even being open or a wise decision from the perspective of reducing spread of the COVID-19 if it is. More and more places along the A.T. are being temporarily closed to overnight or all use (see www.appalachiantrail.org/updates and www.appalachiantrail.org/COVID-19).
It's natural that this year's thru-hikers, after all they've been through--whether they had to get off or were never able to get on--will hope that the pandemic will be over soon (however unlikely that may be) and are thinking about other ways to thru-hike.
All that aside, for this year and any year in the future, a southbound thru-hike is not recommended by ATC unless you are are an experienced, fit hiker who is well prepared for the climb of Katahdin, the 100-mile wilderness, and the rugged, remote terrain that characterizes the A.T. throughout Maine.
Also, Baxter State Park, the volunteers managing the 100 Mile Wilderness, and the Maine State Warden Service and local rescuers have found impacts from unprepared southbounders in recent years have been straining their resources. A big influx of more hikers could be quite problematic from multiple standpoints.
To understand more, please see http://appalachiantrail.org/home/exp...ing/southbound. And here is the intro to the Southbound page on our thru-hiking page:
Starting a thru-hike in Maine is by far the most challenging way to tackle the Trail. Katahdin, the Trail's northern terminus, is regarded as the most difficult mountain on the entire A.T. The route through Maine involves extensive climbing and scrambling over steep, rocky, root-covered and muddy terrain. A heavy pack is required due to the distance between resupply points. It’s best undertaken only by experienced and fit hikers.