Robert Wright's Nonzero

How We Mishandled the Covid Pandemic (Robert Wright & Stephen Macedo)

9 snips
Oct 2, 2025
Stephen Macedo, a Princeton political scientist and author of "In COVID’s Wake", joins to dissect the pandemic's handling. He critiques school closures, arguing they were prolonged due to political factors even as evidence showed low transmission risks. Macedo questions the reliance on medical experts alone and highlights socioeconomic biases that exacerbated inequalities. The conversation delves into how dissent was stifled in academia and media, and the necessity for institutions to reflect on their roles in restoring public trust.
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ANECDOTE

Early Warnings Existed Pre-COVID

  • Robert Bush's 2005 initiative and 2019 WHO report foresaw weak evidence and high costs for NPIs.
  • These historical documents recommended transparency about uncertainty before imposing major restrictions.
INSIGHT

Weak Evidence For Broad NPIs

  • Pre-2020 pandemic planning already warned that evidence for many non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) was weak and costs high.
  • Those reports urged public health officials to communicate uncertainty and costs before resorting to broad mandates.
INSIGHT

Politics Drove School Closure Duration

  • By spring 2020 Europe was reopening schools and finding low transmission among children and teachers.
  • U.S. school closures persisted longer and were driven more by politics and unions than by epidemiology.
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