Summary
It is now more than two years since the WHO declared the COVID-19 emergency a pandemic, and last week the death toll topped 6 million people worldwide. While the U.S. in many ways appears to have moved into a new phase of the pandemic, the virus remains lethal for many. Ed Yong, a staff writer at The Atlantic who won a Pulitzer Prize for his pandemic reporting, joins William Brangham to discuss.
Five Facts
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When
was the COVID pandemic first announced by the World Health Organization?
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How
many people in the U.S. have died since the pandemic began?
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Who
is interviewed in this piece, and what is his background?
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Why
do experts think COVID may not be over yet, despite recent decline in cases?
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What
are some of the ways government officials have pushed responsibility for dealing with COVID to individuals, according to Ed Yong?
Focus Questions
Do you think state or federal officials should do more to counter future waves of COVID infections? If so, what?
Media literacy
: Why do you think the producers chose to mark the two-year anniversary of the COVID pandemic with this piece?
For More
While COVID cases are down in the U.S., they are growing in Europe and reaching record levels in some parts of China. To learn more about the outbreak in China, see
this piece
:
Travellers wearing face mask and shield, walk at the China-Hong Kong border of Shenzhen Bay Port, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, March 14, 2022. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Travellers wearing face mask and shield, walk at the China-Hong Kong border of Shenzhen Bay Port, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, March 14, 2022. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
