With new cases on the rise, states are grappling with how to safely and effectively reopen the economy, but this has proven to be no easy task. Many of the first states to loosen restrictions, including Texas and Florida, have rolled back their reopening plans to deal with the rise of hospitalizations. On top of this public health crisis, there’s also the economic fallout that could cost the world economy $82 trillion over the next five years — and a reckoning over racial injustice, sparked by the killing of George Floyd in police custody.
Dr. Sandro Galea, an epidemiologist and dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health, warns that the U.S. must deal with all three traumas head-on, or risk facing another pandemic. This includes everything from addressing racial disparities in health care to investing in public health infrastructure. The disease expert, co-author of PAINED Uncomfortable Conversations About the Public’s Health, also settles a question that has come up a lot as more and more Americans plan their summers — is it safer to travel by airplane or car?