The Atlantic

COVID-19 Is Out of Control. What Can We Do?

We need a one-two punch to knock the virus down and then keep it down.
Source: Antoine d' Agata / Magnum

The coronavirus is growing out of control. Deaths will likely increase to 2,000 people a day before the end of the year, and the virus will be with us for much of 2021 and possibly longer. Of the many failures of the outgoing administration’s handling of COVID-19, the most destructive has been its failure to communicate honestly and directly from the start. We can’t get our economy back on track and help millions of Americans emerge from extended crisis until we control the virus.

A safe, effective, and widely available vaccine would be a game changer, but we’re likely many months away from this becoming a reality. The announcement from Pfizer about its vaccine trial is very encouraging, but the vaccine’s safety and efficacy among groups such as

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