The Atlantic Daily: We Can Stop the COVID-19 Fall Surge
Some practical advice on managing this scary period
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There’s no point in avoiding the obvious: Cases are rising fast. The winter looks bad.
But weary Americans may take comfort: This time, we know more. The coming season doesn’t have to be a catastrophe.
Keep reading for some practical advice on managing this scary period.
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We can still stop the surge. “A silver bullet may be months away, or longer,” Derek Thompson writes. “But bronze bullets abound.”
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Here’s how to tell if socializing indoors is safe. Experts recommend consulting your local health statistics—a tricker task than you might think, Olga Khazan reports.
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Traveling for the holidays isn’t the best idea, experts say. But for those who do decide to go, the risks can be mitigated, Joe Pinsker reports.
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Some tentatively good news: Schools don’t appear to be the super-spreaders we once thought. The economist Emily Oster reviews the data.
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And teenagers handled quarantine better than expected. In her research, the psychology professor Jean M. Twenge found that their “mental health did not collectively suffer during the pandemic,” despite fears otherwise.
One question, answered: A concerned parent asks on behalf of their school-age daughter: How dangerous are woodwinds?
James Hamblin responds in his latest “Paging Dr. Hamblin” column:
Although there are no clearly documented cases of coronavirus transmission via woodwind, there is a lot of evidence of the benefit of kids studying musical instruments, and taking part in team-based competition. Even during a pandemic, immersing kids in the arts isn’t an indulgence.
Continue reading. Every Wednesday, James takes questions from readers about health-related curiosities, concerns, and obsessions. He has also answered:
Have one? Email Jim at paging.dr.hamblin@theatlantic.com.
20 days remain until the 2020 presidential election. Here’s today’s essential read:
David Frum argues that America wouldn’t survive a second Trump term.
Today’s break from the news:
The ousted WeWork CEO Adam Neumann offers a lesson in how to get rich by losing lots of money.
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