From the Editor: How to Live In the COVID Age

*Scientific American Health & Medicine*, June/July 2022

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We seem to have entered a rather murky phase of the pandemic here in the United States. Most states have lifted indoor mask mandates, restrictions on the size of public gatherings, and vaccination requirements to enter business- es. Shows, concerts and awards ceremonies have recommenced. But make no mistake, this global scourge is by no means over, despite a seeming return to normal. In the United States, we passed one million COVID deaths in the second week of May. Virus caseloads remain high in many places, and potentially contracting the disease is especially risky for those over 50 or the unvaccinated. Knowing how to live in a time like this feels a bit confusing, given these conflicting facts (and with the less-than-helpful guidance from our own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In this issue, writer Devabhaktuni Srikrishna spoke to a slew of public health experts about how to judge the risk of whether to participate in different activities in the COVID age, and their advice is sound and com- forting (see “How to Make Smart Decisions about COVID Risk-Benefit”).

Every day we learn more about the novel coronavirus and the sickness it causes, from what recovery looks like (see “Even Mild COVID Can Increase the Risk of Heart Problems”) to how we might better diagnose and treat the disease (see “A Deluge of New Drugs for COVID”). Each stage of this pandemic has had its own set of challenges. The key is to keep calm, stay informed and do your best.

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