Earlier this month, the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people need no longer wear a mask or physically distance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (with the exception of places where such measures remain required by law). There are undoubtedly a large number of factors—from the political to the scientific—that informed and influenced this decision. But, leaving aside etiology for the moment, the unexpected announcement does present an opportunity to interrogate why we have done what we have done during the pandemic, and what we want, or perhaps should want, to guide our decision-making during these times.
There seems little question that implicit in the CDC announcement is a greater tolerance of some risk; a move away from saying that we are doing everything possible to reduce all risk, to accepting that some risk is acceptable—maybe desirable—as we move to more freely engage with those we have missed this past year. At the same time, I am also aware that the trauma of the pandemic has made it difficult for some to immediately embrace a future without the protective measures we have all become used to, with some amount of risk, even as these measures become less necessary. This is understandable, and those who are processing these feelings deserve compassion and time to adjust. It is clear that returning to something like “normal” will be a journey rather than a single step. So, as we embark, collectively, on this path, I wanted to reflect today on a first principle that informs much about what we have done this past year and will do going forward: why health? Why does it matter that we spend so much time working to generate health? Come to think of it, what is health anyways, at its core? What is it for? Perhaps in better understanding these questions we can better think how to factor in the risks we are, or are not, willing to take, to better address the steps necessary for getting to health; and to think better about the tradeoffs inherent in any decision about the health of populations—now and in the post-COVID future.
Read the full article on The Healthiest Goldfish.