There is no safe way to emerge from our collective shelter-in-place orders and restart the economy before an effective COVID-19 vaccine arrives — but there are smart, science-based ways to do it.
The question can’t be left entirely up to experts. It’s not a safety problem so much as an ethical one; many of us would accept a certain risk of death for the chance to return to a more fully lived life. But putting ourselves at risk means putting others at risk — and some are much more likely to die.
That said, scientific facts clearly communicated can help us make an informed decision about when to reopen. And as to that, experts have some good ideas. Tom Frieden, a fomer director of t the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, laid out some in a recent virtual news conference. Now CEO of a public health initiative called Resolve to Save Lives, he and his colleagues have come up with three criteria to determine when we can regain our freedom.