| When the United States rang in 2021 amid an unprecedented number of coronavirus cases, many Americans spent much of their time sheltering at home. What a difference a year makes: Despite this holiday's record-shattering case numbers, Dr. Leana Wen writes, "many businesses remain open, stadiums are packed and children are headed back to school." How to reconcile the seeming contradictions? "The risk to individuals is low, while the risk to society is high," Wen writes. The omicron variant seems less severe — particularly to those who are vaccinated and boosted. But its increased transmissibility has overloaded hospitals and threatened travel and public safety thanks to staffing shortages. "We need to acknowledge the public's very real weariness," Wen says, "and come up with practical strategies that keep society functioning." That doesn't mean letting omicron run its course, which would further batter hospitals and needlessly raise death counts. Instead, Wen suggests requiring "high-quality masks in all indoor public spaces" and "proof of vaccination — and boosters — for all indoor dining, gyms, movie theaters and sports events," while doing more to protect nursing home workers, the immunocompromised and young children. "These are not the scientifically most sound or the most efficient ways to curb covid-19," she concludes, "but they are the practical middle path that balances what Americans can tolerate with what we need to do to avert the collapse of our health-care system."  (Shuran Huang for The Washington Post) How to keep our hospitals working — and society functioning — at the same time. By Leana S. Wen ● Read more » | | | | Rich countries should focus on places where people want shots but can't get them. By Henry Olsen ● Read more » | | | | Arguably the worst punishment any of them has faced so far has been banishment from Twitter. By Catherine Rampell ● Read more » | | | No one, including Trump, can be considered above the law. By Eugene Robinson ● Read more » | | | | This is a fight for the center, for survival. By Nancy Gibbs ● Read more » | | | | Just because the new variant doesn't require lockdowns doesn't mean they were unnecessary in 2020. By Max Boot ● Read more » | | | | It's not so much about inflation as it is about addressing long-standing progressive concerns about the industry. By Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent ● Read more » | | | Hackers tried to take over a water system in Florida in February, but an alert employee stopped them. By Mark Montgomery and Samantha F. Ravich ● Read more » | | | | It's hard to be too optimistic at the dawn of a new year. By Paul Waldman ● Read more » | | | | It's the Jan. 6 committee's duty to make a referral to the Justice Department if it finds evidence of criminal wrongdoing. By Jennifer Rubin ● Read more » | | | |
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