Authored by: Efthimios Parasidis, Amy Lauren Fairchild, Sandro Galea, Cheryl Healton, and James W. Curran
A year into the pandemic, Covid-19 continues to spread. In large part this is due to widespread failure to institute and enforce evidence-based public health measures, including protocols for testing, universal masking, distancing, and isolation and quarantine. The Biden administration issued an order requiring masking in all federal buildings, a testing program for federal employees, and masking on all forms of transportation. While these are smart, swift moves, more is required for the United States to be a world leader in pandemic response and prevention.
The spread of new variants of concern—that are more transmissible, possibly more lethal, and potentially reduce the efficacy of our current menu of vaccines—makes it important to shore up layers of prevention that we know work. While vaccinations are safe and effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19, strong efforts will be required to maintain additional public health policies as vaccine roll-out picks up speed. Vaccination, at this stage, is another protective layer in a comprehensive strategy, not a panacea that will end the pandemic.
Read the full piece on Barron’s.