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Risk is a part of life: playing a sport, crossing the street, you name it. For example, with over 1 million people around the world dying every year, accidents are a known risk of being on the road. That’s why we have layered precautions that help keep us safer along the way. Red lights, mirrors, protected bike lanes, not driving impaired, thoughtful street design, and infrastructure regulations prevent accidents from happening every day. Seat belts, speed limits, airbags, and the design of a vehicle can help prevent deaths if an accident does happen. Most of us accept these minor inconveniences as necessary for our own sake and because we share the road.

Covid can be seen in much the same way. With over 7 million lives lost globally in just 4 years, and an estimated 1 in 3 people in the US alone being infected over this latest winter surge, covid is still a known risk. A recent study of over 4,000 people showed that recent vaccination with the latest booster resulted in significant (about 60%) protection from hospitalization and ER visits, but no protection was gained against current variants from older vaccines. So vaccines are helping, but not nearly enough to be our only line of defense.

Even people who have mild acute symptoms can develop debilitating chronic issues. A multi-country study of over 1 million people showed that 90% of people who have long covid had mild initial symptoms. Many people just never go back to their baseline of health after an infection. This can look a lot of different ways–long covid has over 200 documented symptoms. Some people don’t feel quite as sharp and get winded more easily, while others are so sick they routinely can’t get out of bed.

Government and public health agencies are invested in downplaying the pandemic because having to provide high-quality masks, upgraded ventilation, and paid time off would be expensive. The official end of the public health emergency has already resulted in nearly 25 million people losing their Medicaid coverage.

Layered protections like masking, ventilation, air purification, testing, and contact tracing save lives. Most importantly, this needs to be a community-wide effort. Babies, elders in nursing homes, people who are incarcerated or institutionalized, and disabled people who rely on family or caregivers simply cannot avoid infection through individual precautions. Their safety depends on the community keeping case counts low to reduce their chance of exposure.

Our well-being is intertwined. We don’t have to accept preventable illness and death as just the cost of business. When we reject this logic, we pull at a crucial thread that weaves through many other oppressive systems. Making the effort to be together safely allows us to pursue our passions sustainably, and creates opportunities to practice collective care.