Session 9
SESSION #9: DEBATES ABOUT COVID-19
Throughout this course, we have brought the topics of each session to bear on some aspect of the current pandemic. In Session #9, we will devote all of our attention to the pandemic—specifically, to a series of complex questions raised by the pandemic (or by pandemics in general). During this class, we will debate the virtues of proposed answers to each of those questions in sequence, considering the way that our views of science and of society contribute to the debates.
For each of the proposed questions, I will provide some potentially useful reading material and suggest some ideas worth exploring, but our discussions are likely to take great advantage of the experiences we’ve had and the reading we’ve each done during the pandemic.
As you will note, the topics have been chosen to display the complex relationships between science and society that have been so evident during the pandemic.
Everyone should sign up to participate actively (and to be called upon) during the discussion of at least one topic, but I hope everyone will try to join in on all topics.
Topic A. When and under what conditions should schools reopen?
Recommended readings:
D Thompson, The Truth About Kids, School, and COVID-19, The Atlantic, Jan 28, 2021
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/just-open-schools-already/617849/
M Mazzetti et al, Behind the White House Effort to Pressure the CDC on School Openings. NY Times, Sept 28, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/28/us/politics/white-house-cdc-coronavirus-schools.html
CDC: Transitioning from CDC’s Indicators for Dynamic School Decision-Making to CDC’s Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Mitigration.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/indicators.html
HB Drucker, Still Learning in my Bedroom, The Hechinger Report, March 23, 2021
Committed participants:
Topic B. What are the important determinants of equitable distribution of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines?
Recommended readings:
E Bazelon, People are Dying. Whom do we save First with the Vaccine? NY Times Magazine, Dec 25, 2020 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/magazine/who-should-get-the-covid-vaccine-next.html
DG McNeil Jr, In Crises, Vaccines can be Stretched, but not easily. NY Times Jan 23, 2021
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/23/health/coronavirus-polio-vaccination.html
L Gostin et al, Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines, JAMA Dec 29, 2020
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2774712
How a vaccine front-runner fell far behind, NY Times, Dec 9, 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/business/covid-vaccine-oxford-astrazeneca.html
S Gebrekidan and M Apuzzo, Rich Countries signed away a Chance to Vaccinate the World. NY Times, March 21, 2021 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/21/world/vaccine-patents-us-eu.html
SG Stolberg, US takes step to use Vaccine for Diplomacy. NY Times March 13, 2021
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/12/us/politics/covid-19-vaccine-global-shortage.html
T Cueni, The risk in suspending Vaccine Patent rules. NY Times, Dec 10, 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/10/opinion/coronavirus-vaccine-patents.html
Committed participants:
Topic C. What are the appropriate uses of tests for the coronavirus?
Recommended readings:
H Varmus, The World Doesn’t Yet Know Enough to Beat the Coronavirus, The Atlantic, May 9, 2020 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/lack-testing-holding-science-back/611422/
TESTING FOR THE PATHOGEN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND FUTURE ONES Ad Hoc Pandemic-Response Subgroup, August, 2020.
https://opcast.org/OPCAST_Testing%20Report_08-18-20.pdf
H Varmus and R Shah, It has come to this: Ignore the CDC, NY Times, Aug. 31, 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/opinion/cdc-testing-coronavirus.html
L Anthes, Why Testing Still Matters, March 26, 2021 NY Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/health/coronavirus-covid-testing.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
Committed participants:
Topic D. Why have places (localities, states, or countries) experienced different rates of infection, disease, and death during the pandemic?
Recommended readings:
S Mukherjee, The Covid Conundrum, The New Yorker, March 2021
A Gawande, Inside the Worst-Hit County in the Worst-Hit State in the Worst-Hit Country, The New Yorker, Feb 8, 2021 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/02/15/inside-the-worst-hit-county-in-the-worst-hit-state-in-the-worst-hit-country
A Collapse Foretold: How Brazil’s Covid-19 Outbreak Overwhelmed Hospitals
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/27/world/americas/virus-brazil-bolsonaro.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
E Yong, How the Pandemic Defeated America, The Atlantic, Sept 2020
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/09/coronavirus-american-failure/614191/
Committed participants:
