‘We’re Nowhere Near Where We Need to Be’
Time to reopen? A conversation with Stanford epidemiologist Dr. Steven Goodman.
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Are they crazy?
That’s my visceral reaction as I watch the evening news and see crowds of people mingling freely in places that are easing their Covid-19 restrictions. I feel as if I’m watching a horror movie and I already know the ending: Protesters shaking their fists, pastors claiming that God will protect them — these will be the first casualties of the inevitable next wave of infections and deaths.
Am I too paranoid? Is it time to resume normal life? These are questions many are understandably struggling with and few can responsibly answer. I happen to have an epidemiologist in my family who I routinely turn to these days. Steve Goodman, MD, PhD, is an associate dean at the Stanford School of Medicine, where he is professor of epidemiology and population health, and medicine. This is the third “Covid conversation” that Steve and I have had. This story is adapted from our live discussion on The Vermont Conversation, a public affairs radio show.
Elemental: What is the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.S.? How do we ease restrictions?
Steve Goodman: The virus has no memory. It has no politics. It’s just sitting there. Think…
