Dr. Céline Gounder

Yes, you should pay attention to national politics, but it really is at the state level and to some degree the local level that you can have the most impact. So that's where I would say pay attention to what's happening in the state legislature, what your local health department is doing. At the state level, we've seen increasingly public health powers eroded.

Yes, you should pay attention to national politics, but it really is at the state level and to some degree the local level that you can have the most impact. So that's where I would say pay attention to what's happening in the state legislature, what your local health department is doing. At the state level, we've seen increasingly public health powers eroded.

We've seen some of the recommendations around vaccination being eroded, where you have increasing non-medical exemptions around vaccination, so what vaccines kids need to get to go to school. Another area that you should be paying attention to is public health versus the economy, public health versus industry. It will always be a theme.

We've seen some of the recommendations around vaccination being eroded, where you have increasing non-medical exemptions around vaccination, so what vaccines kids need to get to go to school. Another area that you should be paying attention to is public health versus the economy, public health versus industry. It will always be a theme.

And so it's sort of balancing those different tradeoffs, values. But you do see this play out very concretely, as it is right now with H5N1. There's a reason certain states have reported a lot more cases of humans infected. It is very much related to how much testing is happening, also how much testing of the herds, of the milk. This is all related to how aggressive the states have chosen to be.

And so it's sort of balancing those different tradeoffs, values. But you do see this play out very concretely, as it is right now with H5N1. There's a reason certain states have reported a lot more cases of humans infected. It is very much related to how much testing is happening, also how much testing of the herds, of the milk. This is all related to how aggressive the states have chosen to be.

So you have states like Michigan, Colorado, California. Yeah, they're reporting a lot of cases, but it's because they're testing so much. And so we don't have a clear view into what's happening in other states. And why does it play out differently?

So you have states like Michigan, Colorado, California. Yeah, they're reporting a lot of cases, but it's because they're testing so much. And so we don't have a clear view into what's happening in other states. And why does it play out differently?

Well, this is a question of values to some degree and wanting to maybe protect industry from what some of the economic impacts might be of realizing they have a bigger problem on their hands than they want to know. And this is also about the impact of influence of industry in certain states on what happens, right?

Well, this is a question of values to some degree and wanting to maybe protect industry from what some of the economic impacts might be of realizing they have a bigger problem on their hands than they want to know. And this is also about the impact of influence of industry in certain states on what happens, right?

So if you have a very powerful dairy industry lobby in that state, that's going to be very different from a state where your political interests might be a lot more diverse and varied.

So if you have a very powerful dairy industry lobby in that state, that's going to be very different from a state where your political interests might be a lot more diverse and varied.

We did see a very real impact of citizens in communities on COVID mitigation measures. And this played out differently in different communities. There were communities where people wanted to reopen businesses. They wanted their kids back in school as quickly as possible. There are places where parents had good reason to be very concerned.

We did see a very real impact of citizens in communities on COVID mitigation measures. And this played out differently in different communities. There were communities where people wanted to reopen businesses. They wanted their kids back in school as quickly as possible. There are places where parents had good reason to be very concerned.

For example, here in New York City, you had a lot of parents and families of color, lower income neighborhoods, multi-generational households, where they were concerned not just for their kids, but for other family members in the household, what it would mean if their kids were back in school before a lot of people had been vaccinated, what that would mean for elderly relatives living at home.

For example, here in New York City, you had a lot of parents and families of color, lower income neighborhoods, multi-generational households, where they were concerned not just for their kids, but for other family members in the household, what it would mean if their kids were back in school before a lot of people had been vaccinated, what that would mean for elderly relatives living at home.

And so what we saw, this sort of patchwork reopening, reflected a lot of those local values. And You know, some of that was the parents, some of that was teachers who were concerned for themselves.

And so what we saw, this sort of patchwork reopening, reflected a lot of those local values. And You know, some of that was the parents, some of that was teachers who were concerned for themselves.

And, you know, whether you agree or disagree with those particular decisions different communities took, you know, regardless of that, aside from that, that was the local community that was the local communities that were dictating those decisions.

And, you know, whether you agree or disagree with those particular decisions different communities took, you know, regardless of that, aside from that, that was the local community that was the local communities that were dictating those decisions.