Aspen Ideas Festival Appearance

Can We Put the Pandemic Behind Us?

June 2022 — Aspen Ideas Festival

Sixty percent of American adults, and 75 percent of children, have been infected with SARS-CoV2. Coupled with immunity-boosting vaccines and medical progress, rates of severe disease, hospitalization, and death are all falling dramatically. Can we declare victory and move on? Or do the threats still facing vulnerable populations require continued precautions? The prospect of more infectious or more potent viral variants looms, but tolerance for vaccine and mask mandates and school and business closures has plummeted. Mixed public health messages have added to the confusion as we consider how best to live with an infection that isn’t going away.