A tale of two states

Arizona reopened rapidly in defiance of a novel coronavirus. It’s quickly become a canonical example of how not to respond to a pandemic. And you don’t have to look far for the tortoise to Arizona’s hare: New Mexico, its close neighbor in the Desert Southwest, has taken a more deliberate approach.

The two states start in a similar place, seen through early virus exposure. They end in a similar place, seen through levels of economic activity. But the slower, steadier path New Mexico followed differed in crucial ways. As did the human cost.

Andrew Van Dam and Tony Romm, New York Times

We're all, of necessity, learning that there is no way to "open the economy" unless we first control the spread of the virus. The linked article presents a clear explanation that there are no shortcuts.

Ending the pandemic requires increased immunity -- we can hope by way of quick invention of a vaccine. Failing that, science will have to come up with treatments that make infection with COVID a minor inconvenience. For everyone.

And until one or both of those outcomes has been achieved, a frightened population simply won't go out to work, or send kids to school, or consume. Therefore genuine economic recovery can't happen.

For now, our existence must consist of living with precaution and practicing patience. Better, smarter leadership would help, though no leadership is going to be perfect.