Thread by @EricTopol

Diagnosis: Uncontrolled spread
covidexitstrategy.org
1/

A ladder. Off the chart again with 83,000 new confirmed infections the past 2 days. Years from now people will look back and think how is this possible in the USA. Bleak? 2/

It doesn't have to be. We know we could achieve marked suppression by a universal mask mandate and aggressive non-pharmacologic mitigation measures. That doesn't have to equate to the "L" word. But timing is critical now 3/

Not just because the virus spread is rampant and needs to be contained. But keeping people safe now, for a matter of weeks, when we're getting close to turnaround strategies. 4/

Already the fatality rate for #COVID19 is declining. Many people who died in March-April-May wouldn't today. 5/

https://twitter.com/erictopol/status/1318928095739408384

We are just weeks away from EUA approval of multiple monoclonal antibody programs. These will be the 1st drugs to intervene early, block progression of illness, and likely further improve the outlook for high-risk individuals 6/

By year end the stunning, unparalleled progress in vaccines from sequence in January to completed megatrials in October will be capped with EUA of vaccines and the Phase 1 rollout 7/

And the right and only way to work towards herd immunity, via vaccines 8/

We will also have rapid home tests. They should have been widely available months ago and they have remarkable potential to promote our mobility and safety by diagnosing infectiousness. Only pending FDA developing the path and validation studies 9/

We can't surrender when we're this close to exceptional promise. Pandemic fatigue is pervasive, but letting up is worse. Patience, aggressive efforts, building on our successes in the pipeline. Optimism. 10/

Tired