i have what i feel is likely to be an unpopular opinion w/r/t the pandemic that has been burning a hole in my keyboard and i finally feel just daring enough to share. hem hem

having spent 1.5 months in france this year -- both at times of low covid cases and relatively high -- it feels striking to me how much the discourse in the US *amongst people who take the pandemic seriously* differs from the approach of, say, much of western europe

it's not an exaggeration to say that nearly everyone in france traveled this summer, dined out, saw friends, and lived fairly close to a normal life while mitigating risk. and even in areas where spread is very low in america, it often feels very "hunker down and wait for normal"

i see people constantly in the US talking about how they're not doing X or Y until a vaccine. how they're not leaving the house all winter. and *even in areas with comparable risk*, almost literally no one talks like this in europe. it's about how do we imitate normal life now

and to be clear i have nothing but anger for people here who downplay or flout the virus. taking proper precaution is essential. but i *do* think the "hunker down until The Life After" framing of many people in the US who take it seriously is actually not very helpful

i understand that this very black-and-white approach is sometimes medically necessary, and also largely a reaction to a country whose response was terrible. but finding a moderate approach to living life on adjusted terms is not being irresponsible, it's being sustainable

lastly let me say that this genre of tweet is both exasperating and highly unproductive, and i would argue leads to a feeling of "welp i've already been imperfect in my precautions, might as well do whatever" https://twitter.com/chlo_glow_/status/1308955148555825152

okay actually lastly and i know that i toot new york's horn a lot but truly, if the biggest city in the US can go from global epicenter to keeping our cases at consistently low and manageable numbers three months after reopening outdoor dining (!!) there *is* a sustainable path