Introduction

On May 11th, 2023, the official declaration of a federal public health emergency for COVID-19 in the United States will end. To mark this occasion, we have something a little different and unusual for you today. At some point, the federal government will have to decide when the pandemic is over. And while I think we might want that decision to be grounded firmly in some sort of epidemiological reality, I think the very real possibility is that this determination will be like sociological and analytical.