Covid-19 Public Policy Debate – An Intelligent Discussion of Trade-Offs

The Hard Covid-19 Questions We’re Not Asking
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/30/opinion/us-covid-policy.html

Requiring Masks in Schools Has a Downside
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/school-mask-mandates-downside/619952/
Author Info: Vinay Prasad, a hematologist and oncologist, is an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UC San Francisco.
 “Scientists have an obligation to strive for honesty. And on the question of whether kids should wear masks in schools—particularly preschools and elementary schools—here is what I conclude: The potential educational harms of mandatory-masking policies are much more firmly established, at least at this point, than their possible benefits in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in schools. To justify continued masking of schoolkids—with no end date in sight—we have to prove that masks benefit kids, and at what ages. States and communities that are considering masking policies just to be safe should recognize that being overly cautious has a cost, while the benefits are uncertain”.

Related:

Americans Are Losing Sight of the Pandemic Endgame

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/americans-are-losing-sight-endgame/619916/
Entirely eliminating infections is an unrealistic goal, but successful vaccines will avoid the worst outcomes. 

Vaccine Refusers Don’t Get to Dictate Terms Anymore
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/vaccine-refusers-hesitancy-mandates-fda-delta/619918/
People who opt out of shots shouldn’t expect their employers, health insurers, and fellow citizens to accommodate them.