Soon, one million people will have died in the US from COVID-19. Even in this time of pandemic, when each year, each season, has brought new tragic milestones—100,000 deaths, 200,000, and on and on—this number stands out. One million deaths breaks through the numbness that can set when we try to grapple with such loss and urges us again to remember that each death was an individual human life. These were one million mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, grandparents. Each had their own hopes, fears, and aspirations. Their loss inspires mourning, reflection. It also demands that we take a hard look at the moment we are in, to ensure that nothing like this pandemic ever happens again. Nothing can redeem so many deaths, but their impact is made so much worse if we do not learn from this moment.
This means fundamentally rethinking our approach to health. It has long been easier to turn a blind eye to the areas where we remain in the grip of an unhealthy status quo. Surely in the face of one million dead from COVID-19, this disengagement is no longer acceptable? Aiming to better understand the moment, to underscore what we should be learning, lest we forget all too soon, I suggest there are three key questions we should ask ourselves about the COVID-19 moment, the answers to which can help guide us towards a healthier future.