The Biden administration should take note: Most Americans are moving on from the pandemic — or at least, they do not see the threat from covid-19 as an acute threat to their lives.
Public schools have been open for months. Live entertainment venues have reopened. A little more than 500 Americans are dying from covid each day, which is still too high, but significantly lower than the 2,000-death daily average at the beginning of the year.
Yes, we still see mass outbreaks, such as the one at the Gridiron Dinner last week, after which more than 70 attendees (out of hundreds) tested positive. (No word on whether any of those cases required hospitalizations.) But as my colleague Leana S. Wen argues: this doesn’t mean we have to give up large indoor gatherings. “That was true before vaccines were widely available, but it’s no longer realistic,” she writes. “We need to use a different paradigm — one that’s based on individuals being thoughtful about their own risks and the risks they pose to others.”
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It is time to recognize that for all but a few exceptions (masking in confined spaces on public transit, testing requirements for some employers), we no longer need to consider ourselves in a health emergency. The White House is understandably gun-shy about declaring victory; it did that once, only to be met with the delta variant and hundreds of thousands more deaths. Still, it is wrong to conclude from that premature claim of victory that the administration can never recognize that Americans now have the tools — if they simply avail themselves of them — to prevent serious illness or death. It is likewise important not to construct public policy based on the possibility of mild or asymptomatic breakthrough infections.
Moreover, from a mental-health perspective, people need some sense of closure. No one can promise that they will never get sick. But if they follow reasonable measures (including being vaccinated), the vast majority can avoid severe cases and death.
It would not be unreasonable, then, for the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recalibrate. They can announce that the most deadly phase of covid has essentially ended for anyone who has been vaccinated. And they should recognize that the prolonged deployment of national resources saved millions of lives and prevented millions of hospitalizations, as a report from the Commonwealth Fund found last week. The president should also highlight the report’s finding that this helped avoid $900 billion in health-care costs. That’s worth applauding.
The United States can still maintain a state of readiness and continue to encourage testing and vaccination. (Plenty of other vaccinations for children are required; adults are encouraged to get flu shots.) Employers and public venues should insist people stay home if they are sick. Immunocompromised people should be supported if they need to continue wearing masks or being tested. And event hosts should feel free to require pre-event testing and proof of vaccination. Government can support these efforts rather than mandate them at this stage.
The president and those in the line of succession, including the vice president and House speaker, should still abide by extra precautions (including masking and testing visitors), in no small part because the president is 79 years old and the speaker is 82. That shouldn’t mean that such precautions are required of everyone in every workplace.
Most important, the country needs to address the consequences of the pandemic’s first, deadly stage. That means offering massive support for mental health care, additional funding for schools to catch up students, special attention for the 200,000 orphans left behind, expansion of public health systems to relieve the burden on the existing workforce, and some substantial recognition beyond a pat on the back for medical personnel. Imagine a “G.I. Bill” for doctors and nurses who served on the front lines, including early retirement without diminishing Social Security benefits or college benefits for them or their children.
What the administration should not do is allow the country to remain in a state of suspended animation. Granted, our politics does not afford much nuance, but it is time for the president to recognize: We have achieved a lot. You don’t need to fear covid if you follow guidelines. Show consideration for others. And we will care for those who "have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.” It is time.