We’re getting Covid-19 severity all wrong.

As Covid-19 cases in the United States soar to record highs, many are pinning their hopes on the omicron variant, however contagious, being less severe than the delta variant that came before it. Perhaps, some health care experts hope, surviving omicron could even provide some immunity against other variants. It’s a glimmer of hope in a dark time.

The problem is, it’s too soon to know how severe omicron is—and individual symptoms aren’t always the best way to talk about severity. By taking preventative measures off the table and prioritizing the economy even if it means sending people back to work and school with active Covid cases, policymakers betting on the mildness of this virus could risk toppling the health care system as we know it—and allow more death and disability to rise throughout the country. Read more at The New Republic.