President Biden’s push for decriminalizing marijuana should not be misinterpreted as signaling that marijuana is safe for everyone, or that recreational use — especially among youths — ought to be normalized. 🧵 @postopinions washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/… There are real dangers associated with marijuana. Exposure to it during childhood impacts later cognitive ability, including memory, attention & motivation. Regular use is associated w/ lower IQ, higher dropout rates —even depression and psychosis. nida.nih.gov/publications/r…

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Many on Twitter have asked--how did I go from being extremely cautious with #covid19 precautions for nearly two years to now resuming pre-pandemic activities, including not masking my young kids at school?

I explain in this @PostOpinions column 🧵:
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/… I gave birth in April 2020, shortly after covid-19 hit. To protect our baby girl, my husband and I pulled our then-2-year-old son out of preschool.

We socialized outdoors only. I limited indoor activities to clinical work and grocery shopping, and I was never without my N95.

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My @postopinions column is about pandemic drinking.

More people 16-64 years old died from alcohol-related deaths in 2020 than from #covid19. Alcohol-related skyrocketed 25% from 2019 to 2020, and will likely be worse in 2021.

Why & what to do? 🧵
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/… Aaron White @NIAAAnews attributes the increased drinking to the “double whammy” of added stress & reduced coping options, such as socializing. “My concern is that the unhealthy habits people picked up during the pandemic may stick with them long after the pandemic ends."

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In this week's #TheCheckup, I address the good point that it’s very difficult to estimate the risk of contracting #covid19 from a specific event.

Here's the key question to ask: How important is it for you to continue avoiding covid?🧵 @PostOpinions

s2.washingtonpost.com/camp-rw/?track… This is not to imply that anyone wants to get the coronavirus, but that at this point in the pandemic, people perceive their own risk from #covid19 very different ways, and that should determine which, if any, indoor gatherings (or restaurants, gyms, etc) they should attend.

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The Gridiron Club dinner was probably a #covid19 superspreader.

But events like this should still go on.

This is our new normal — one that’s based on individuals being thoughtful about their own risks and the risks they pose to others.🧵 @PostOpinions

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/… Event organizers should decide the level of risk they can tolerate and the precautions they wish to have.

Requiring proof of vaccination helps, as does same-day rapid testing of attendees.

People who want more protection can choose to wear a high-quality mask.

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The US could face a new #covid19 wave driven by BA.2.

While the federal government needs to do far more to prepare for this potential surge by ramping up therapeutics & urging boosters, most Americans should not be worried.

Here's why 🧵: @PostOpinions washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/… #: Despite BA.2's transmissibility, it does not cause more severe disease compared to the original omicron subvariant (BA.1).

#2: BA.2 is not so different from BA.1 that it escapes immunity from vaccines.

#3: People who had omicron are unlikely to be reinfected with BA.2.

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Two years into the pandemic, Congress is poised to repeat what will almost certainly be a deadly mistake: Waiting until it’s too late before investing in prevention.

🧵@PostOpinions washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/… The Biden admin has made clear they need supplemental #covid19 funding. But even the compromise $15.6 billion was stripped by Congress. A standalone bill currently lacks the support to pass both chambers.

This is a devastating turn of events with immediate consequences.

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Before, there were 2 camps, for & against pandemic restrictions.

Now, there's a 3rd: pro-restrictions earlier but recognizing it's a different time now.

This group wants to move from vitriol & divisiveness to nuance & compromise.

@postopinions 🧵washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/… Circumstances have changed.

Cases are falling rapidly. Vaccines are available for 5+. One-way masking protects the wearer.

That’s why mask requirements were the right policy before & why, now, masking can move from a government-imposed mandate to an individual decision.

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3 new studies should erase any doubt that boosters are needed for optimal protection against #covid19.

When science changes, policy should adapt too. The same national effort for initial vaccinations should now occur for boosters. 🧵@PostOpinions

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/… To summarize: One @CDCMMWR study found that during the omicron surge a booster dose was 90% effective at preventing hospitalization, compared with just 57% for those who had received two shots and were at least six months, out from the second dose.

cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/7…

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Both sides of the in-person schools debate have it wrong.

It’s wrong for politicians to stop the use of protective measures, like masks.

But it’s also wrong to argue that unless every protection is in place, schools cannot remain open.

🧵@PostOpinions:
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/… The split-screen on the issue is astounding. On one hand, many red state governors are actively fighting mask mandates in schools. On the other, left-wing activists are pushing for schools to remain closed.

Neither side is following the science.

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There's confusion about where we are with Omicron. The seeming contradiction is that the risk to individuals is low, while the risk to society is high.

Here's a practical pathway to protect hospitals while minimizing societal disruption.🧵 @postopinions washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/… First, lockdowns are a nonstarter. Letting omicron run unabated isn't either. Though most vaccinated individuals will have mild symptoms, uncontrolled spread would almost assuredly push many hospitals over the edge, and patients could die because they can’t access care. /2

Omicron is now the dominant variant in the US.

Yet, despite our being in yet another winter #covid19 surge, I don’t think vaccinated people should have to cancel their plans for Christmas, New Year’s Eve and other holidays.

Here's why:🧵 @postopinions washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/… For much of the vaccinated population, the calculation has changed from the risk that the coronavirus poses to them, to the risk they could pose to others.

Restricting their activities isn’t necessary or productive and would serve only to disincentivize vaccination. /2

I agree with President Biden's travel restrictions, but he needs to do more to fight omicron: 🧵

1) Strengthen travel protocols. Right now, there are too many loopholes. There should be mandatory quarantine + re-testing for all international travelers.

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/… 2) Push out boosters. Biden is right to call for boosters, now. The White House should lead a coordinated effort with all doctors’ offices, pharmacies & health departments to identify Americans who have not yet been boosted. Consider changing definition of fully vaccinated.

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I am one of the more than 15 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients in the U.S.

Yesterday, I decided to get a second #covid19 vaccine—a Pfizer shot.

My @postopinions column is on why and how I made this decision (thread)🧵:

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/… 1) It’s clear that all J&J recipients will need a second shot.

One dose of J&J is not as effective as two doses of Pfizer or Moderna.

For J&J recipients, a second dose of any of the 3 vaccines will provide additional protection.

To explain the risk the unvaccinated pose to themselves and others, @SamWangPhD & I propose an analogy: The choice to remain unvaccinated is equivalent to drunk driving.

Some may balk at the comparison, but here are the similarities.

🧵1/

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/… 1) Both causes of severe bodily harm are largely preventable.

2) Both are individual decisions with societal consequences.

3) Both can cause substantial mortality, though deaths due to coronavirus far outstrip those due to drunken driving.

And more....

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NEW: President Biden's strategy for fighting #covid19 does not go far enough to compel vaccinations.

The time for cajoling is over.

Biden should use his full authority to make it difficult for Americans to remain unvaccinated.

5 steps: 🧵@postopinions washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/… 1) Requiring vaccinations for interstate travel.

If you want the privilege of traveling on a plane or train, you need to do your part and get vaccinated.

This is a common myth with the #covid19 #vaccine--that it somehow causes female infertility.

I spoke with several experts about how best to address this misconception. 🧵 @postopinion

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/… First, let's talk about the origin of this myth. It originated with anti-vaccine advocates who alleged that the spike protein targeted by the vaccine is "disturbingly similar" to a protein found in the placenta.

This claim has no basis in science or reality. /2

Big takeaway from CDC ACIP today: rare risk of myocarditis is far outweighed by the much greater risk of bad outcomes from #covid19.

I agree with their decision to continue recommending vaccinations for those 12 & older.

Here's why @postopinions🧵: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/… Of the 323 documented cases in those under 30, nearly 80% are known to have recovered. 9 are still hospitalized, 2 are in intensive care. No one has died.

Most myocarditis cases are mild, treatable and do not leave lasting effects.

And covid itself causes myocarditis. /2

I & other AAPIs are increasingly concerned that speculation over the lab leak theory will increase anti-Asian hate.

As we embark on a full scientific investigation, we must take actions to prevent the next escalation of anti-Asian racism. 🧵@postopinions washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/… This is not a hypothetical concern. According to @StopAAPIHate, over 6,600 anti-AAPI incidents have been reported since the pandemic started.

Many are related to blaming AAPIs for #covid19. Speculating on culpability could provoke more acts of harm against our community. /2

The CDC's new guidance has devolved into a giant mess. It was a major blunder to cede responsibility: Effectively ending mask mandates is not just about science--it's a major policy decision that should have been made by President Biden himself.🧵

washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-c… To be clear, it was appropriate for the CDC, as a scientific agency, to review the data & come out with a statement that vaccinated people are at little risk for contracting #covid19 & spreading it to others.

But they went way beyond this to basically end all indoor masking. /2

For months, I've been criticizing the CDC for being too cautious with what vaccinated people can do.

Now, the CDC has done an about-face that's shockingly abrupt: it's confusing & could actually disincentivize vaccines.

We need an intermediate step: 🧵washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/… Don't get me wrong--the vaccinated are very well protected. They are safe to take off masks if they wish.

The problem is: do we trust the honor system for people to now go maskless? What about the danger to people who can't be vaccinated (i.e. kids) or the immunocompromised? /2