With Innovation, We Can Keep Reducing the Toll of COVID-19

Scrolling through social media these days, you’ll see that loud extremists continue to dominate COVID-19 discourse. At one pole are the denialists who argue—incorrectly—that COVID is “just a cold.” At the other are those who suggest that no meaningful progress has been made in controlling its devastation. The truth, of course, is somewhere in the middle. We have not yet extricated ourselves from the peril of SARS-CoV-2, and wishing COVID-19 gone does not make it so. Surging case numbers provide opportunities to produce the next variant as the virus evolves to escape antibodies accumulated from vaccination and prior infection. (There is no way to predict the severity of disease caused by a future variant, though immunity undeniably helps.) Some portion of these cases will be severe, fatal, or result in disabling long COVID. Absenteeism among infected healthcare workers creates unsafe staffing ratios, and the transportation industry, such as airlines and the Staten Island ferry, are being affected by high levels of infection among staff. Conversely, the lack of universal paid sick leave continues to be a barrier to COVID-19 control in the U.S., as infected people are forced to choose between their livelihood and the safety of coworkers and the public. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Still, we must recognize that science has brought us far from where we were in 2020. We now have a solid understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 spreads and how to...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 freelance Source Type: news