The COVID-19 Delta variant is a fatal reminder that we're not yet in the COVID clear, but that doesn't mean we should shut down all over again.
I read the other day that drug overdose deaths rose 30% in 2020 with roughly 21,000 more people falling victim to this epidemic within the pandemic. 21,000 is a far cry from the over 600,000 that have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, but it's still a stark reminder that all COVID restrictions come with a cost. With vaccinations widely available that still show tremendous effectiveness against the Delta variant, we're reaching a point in the pandemic where we need to start reengaging with the question, "What level of COVID risk are we willing to accept as a society?" Shutting down the country again may save the stubborn, unvaccinated neighbor on your left but might kill the depressed neighbor on your right.
Once again, I am not trying to deem any lives more important than others or make any broad statement on who deserves to live most. All I'm saying is that in a situation where 1) shutting down the country has clear negative impacts on people's mental health and overall well-being, as proven by the increase in opioid deaths and 2) we've reached a level of vaccine saturation where virtually any adult who wants a vaccine has gotten a vaccine, it's time to seriously reconsider the cost of a full shutdown. I am not firmly against another shutdown, and the virus may evolve to completely warrant one. I just hope policy makers remember there's other stakeholders to consider in these decisions too.
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