Why is Covid-19 surging in America again?

THROUGHOUT 2020 and into early 2021, there was hope that with some luck and enough vaccines, it would be possible to end the Covid-19 pandemic in a quick and decisive manner. By this summer, it became clear that this would not happen in the United States. The Delta variant represents an unfortunate turn of events, compounded by many people's unwillingness to be vaccinated.

In view of these developments, how should President Joe Biden's administration adjust its Covid-related strategies? For the most part, the administration's approach is on track and having the best possible effect under the circumstances. Staying the course and ignoring detractors is the best way forward.

The federal government is, of course, limited in what it can do about public health. Bipartisan support helped to produce several remarkably effective vaccines - the National Institutes of Health (NIH) should score very highly in any assessment of its performance, including in how it mobilised and cooperated with private-sector companies. This is exactly how the government and businesses should work together in a national emergency to ensure the use of all available scientific firepower.