Thread by @DKThomp

I wrote about why Denmark is done with COVID

theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

This week, Denmark led the world in infections per capita. It also suddenly voted to end all restrictions—no mask mandate, no COVID passports. I talked to researcher and govt adviser @M_B_Petersen about why.

When I say Denmark leads the world in COVID cases per capita, I mean, literally—if you don't count the South Pacific archipelago of Palau—it's number one in cases per million people.

But the relationship between cases and ICU admits has been shattered.

There's no mystery here.

Denmark broke the tether between cases and severe outcomes bc it's one of the most vaccinated countries in the world.

- 81% of adults are doubly vaxxed
- 61% have booster shots

Denmark's booster-shots-per-capita is about 2.5X higher than the U.S.

So, Denmark is different. But it's instructive.

Denmark's pandemic restrictions are only extended on a temporary basis for the country. Pandemic restrictions expire. And the govt must vote to extend them.

This builds trust that ALL restrictions are TEMPORARY.

In the U.S., there is a fierce debate—even among doubly and triply vaccinated people—about an "off-ramp" to "normal" so we can be "done."

Forcing the govt to vote every 90 days to re-up temporary restrictions might ease fears of, eg, "forever masking" in this debate.

One more thing I found fascinating.

In the U.S,, it's less common to find public health officials who are loudly pro-vaccine and loudly anti–vaxx mandate.

But in Denmark, pro-vaccine and anti-mandate is the standard position.

Denmark is not America.

Its decision to lift restrictions is downstream of its vaxx rate. And its vaxx rate is downstream of extraordinary public trust.

But it's still useful to hear from other countries—if only to imagine what's possible in ours.

theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…