We’re battling a 21st century pandemic, mainly using tactics that are the equivalent of pistols. Meanwhile, the rocket launchers and cruise missiles that emerging evidence suggests could be used in this war sit largely idle.
The gap is vast between the state-of-the-art scientific knowledge about Covid-19 and both public perceptions and many current policies being imposed. If we redirected our attention from concerns that target a minuscule proportion of infection events and instead prioritized measures that more closely align with the data, many deaths — as well as much anxiety and fear — could be prevented.
During the AIDS crisis, I was among the first researchers to argue that certain then unorthodox approaches, such as voluntary circumcision of adult males, could prevent HIV. Although initially met with disbelief and often ridicule, several of these strategies were eventually adopted by the UN, CDC, and other international agencies. With the current pandemic, however, we cannot afford to once again wait years to enact more effective policies.
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