Michigans coronavirus numbers are now at their highest point in 2021.
When you see that Michigan is the second-highest state in the country right now for coronavirus cases, its a gut punch, said Melissa Samuel, CEO of the Health Care Association of Michigan.
Its a surge with some unique characteristics. Below is a look at the geographic areas where the outbreaks are most severe and the age groups most impacted.
Here are the trendlines in recent weeks.
Highest case numbers are among younger adults
Young adults in their 20s have had the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in the past three weeks and the surge in that age group was been particularly apparent in the past week.
Were definitely seeing the impact of St. Patricks Day, said Emily Toth Martin, a University of Michigan epidemiologist.
Source: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Twenty-somethings accounted for 10,842 new cases since March 5, and more than half of those have been reported since the weekend after St. Pats Day.
The chart below looks at the numbers for three seven-day periods from Saturday through Friday. These are not cumulative totals, but the numbers of new cases reported during each seven-day period.
Source: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Also significant is the rise in cases among people under 20.
In the past three weeks, people under age 20 have accounted for 21% of new cases compared to 13% during the first year of the pandemic. Daily average case rates since March 5 are up 195% for children under 10 and 205% for ages 10-19 compared to the average for the previous year.
Experts attribute the increase to the reopening of schools and resumption of school sports, but say classrooms and sports field themselves may not necessarily be the source of infection. Rather, it could be the activities around school, such as athletes and their families eating together after a competition.
On Friday, Ann Arbor Public Schools has paused all spring sports after a recent surge in COVID-19 cases involving student-athletes has resulted in more than 150 quarantined or paused from participation.
This is an important time to remind families of the importance of limiting socializing outside of your household unit, said Paul DeAngelis, the districts executive director for high school education. While COVID-19 protocols have been followed carefully on school campuses, we are aware that off-campus socializing has contributed to some student-athlete cases.
Ann Arbor Public Schools pauses spring sports after surge in COVID-19 cases
Also significant is the much slower rise in cases among those 70 and older, an age group much more likely to be vaccinated. In the first year of the pandemic, Michiganders 70 and older accounted for 12% of cases on average. Thats plummeted to 4% in recent weeks.
The proportion of cases involving patients in their 60s also has dropped, from 12% during the first year of the pandemic to 9% in recent weeks.
Geographically, worst outbreaks are in the Thumb and stretch of northern Michigan
The top 10 counties in per-capita case counts since March 1, in order: Huron, Missaukee, Sanilac, Wexford, St. Clair, Otsego, Lapeer, Macomb, Tuscola and Roscommon.
Huron, Sanilac, St. Clair, Lapeer and Tuscola are in the Thumb region and adjoin Macomb County.
Missaukee, Wexford, Otsego and Roscommon are in the northern Lower Peninsula and include the cities of Cadillac, Grayling and McBain.
Below is a map that shows per-capita case rates so far for the month of March. You can put your cursor over a county to see the underlying data. (Cant see them map? Click here.)
Those top two regions are among the most politically conservative in the state. In the 2021 election, 76% of Missaukee voters backed Donald Trump, the highest percentage in the state.
On average, 67% in those four northern Michigan counties voted for Trump, the same average who backed Trump in the Thumb region.
Macomb, which is Michigans third-most populated county, is easily most conservative of the three metro Detroit counties, which also include Wayne and Oakland. About 53% of Macomb voters backed Trump in 2021.
However, the correlation between partisanship and case counts tends to fall apart outside of the highest-ranked counties.
Washtenaw, Michigans most liberal county and home of University of Michigan, ranks 48th among the 83 counties in new case counts during March, and Wayne, the second-most liberal, ranks 26th.
The bottom 10 counties in new case counts: Iron, Alger, Luce, Baraga, Menominee, Schoolcraft, Dickinson, Marquette, all in the Upper Pennisula, and Ogemaw and Gratiot in the northeast Lower Peninsula.
In raw numbers, metro Detroit -- Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, which have 39% of the states population - account for 44% of the new cases this month.
Thumb region has highest increase in positivity rates
Huron and Sanilac counties, both in the Thumb, rank No. 1 and 2 in percentile increases in positivity rates on coronavirus diagnostic tests so far in the month of March.
And Tuscola, Lapeer and St. Clair, which also are in that region also rank in the top 10, along with Macomb, Otsego, Oscoda, Crawford and Wexford.
Five counties -- all in the Upper Peninsula -- have seen their positivity rates drop this month: Delta, Schoolcraft, Luce, Baraga and Keweenaw.
The map below is shaded by changes in seven-day average positivity rates on March 1 compared to March 26. That shows us where case rates have increased the fastest. (Cant see the map? Click here.)
Hospitalization rate highest in southwest Michigan
On Friday, 1,940 people were hospitalized in Michigan for COVID-19, up from 824 on March 1.
The number in intensive care units has increased from 195 to 394 during that time.
Southwest Michigan has the highest per-capita rate of hospitalizations, although metro Detroit easily has the highest raw numbers.
The breakdown of hospitalizations as of Friday by region:
Meanwhile, the Michigan Health and Hospital Association says the age composition of COVID-19 patients has shifted, with a higher proportion of younger adults in hospitals. That reflects the success of widespread vaccination among senior citizens.
The graphic below shows the age breakdown for new COVID-19 hospital admissions on Thursday, March 25, compared to the surge this past fall/winter.
Chart courtesy of Michigan Health & Hospital Association.
Too soon to know impact on death count
The state has reported 492 deaths so far in March compared to 925 in February.
However, deaths are a lagging factor when it comes to coronavirus metrics. It takes several weeks after an increase in cases to see an increase in deaths, and a month or two to know the full impact of a surge on the death count.
Deaths were trending down for the first half of March. But in the last 10 days, the seven-day average number of deaths reported daily has increased from 15 to 22. Considering the spike in hospitalizations last week, that daily average is likely to rise.
Still, age is the biggest risk factor for dying of coronavirus, and almost two-thirds of people age 65 and over have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Health experts are hopeful that high vaccination rate will blunt the increase in deaths from this surge.
Read more on MLive:
Michigans COVID-19 numbers increasing at troubling pace. Whats going on?
Gender gap in pandemic unemployment shrinking, but mothers still left behind
When congregations cant congregate: Pandemic forces Michiganders to rethink church
FOX 2 Detroit anchor Maurielle Lue describes her terrifying COVID battle: I literally cant breathe
COVID-19 cases in Michigan nursing homes drop 96%, deaths drop 99% since late December
WASHINGTON President Joe Biden announced Monday that the vast majority of American adults will be eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the coming weeks as officials work to boost the number of pharmacies where shots are available.
>> Read more trending news
In a statement released by the White House, officials said 90% of adult Americans will be eligible for vaccination by April 19. Further, officials said 90% of U.S. adults will be able to find a vaccination site within five miles of their homes by that same time.
Were going to do this by going from having 17,000 pharmacies giving out vaccination shots to nearly 40,000 pharmacies, Biden said Monday at a news conference. Im pleased to announce that at least 90% of all adults in this country will be eligible to be vaccinated by April the 19th, just three weeks from now, because we have the vaccines.
The president said the remaining 10% of American adults will be eligible for vaccination no later than May 1. In the meantime, he urged Americans to continue social distancing, wearing masks and washing their hands.
The progress were making is a significant testament to what we can do when we work together as Americans, Biden said. We still need everyone to do their part. Were still in a war with this deadly virus. Were bolstering our defense, but this war is far from won.
The announcement came hours after Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, described feeling a sense of impending doom amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases nationwide.
>> Related: Coronavirus: CDC director describes feeling impending doom as COVID-19 cases rise
We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are and so much reason for hope, Walensky said. But right now, Im scared.
As of Monday, the U.S. continues to lead the world in the number of COVID-19 cases confirmed nationwide, at 30.2 million, according to a count from Johns Hopkins University. The viral infection has claimed nearly 550,000 lives in the U.S. alone.
>> Related: Coronavirus: Biden ups vaccination goal to 200 million in first 100 days
Globally, 127.3 million COVID-19 cases have been reported, causing 2.7 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.
As of Monday morning, 145.8 million COVID-19 vaccination doses have been administered across the U.S. So far, 52.6 million Americans have been fully vaccinated, accounting for about 16% of the population.
Coronavirus vaccines are rolling out across the world. So why are CSU scientists still working to develop new ones? Fort Morgan Times
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Read more about coronavirus updates from around the world, get the latest news on stimulus checks and additional stimulus moves and see more stories trending online today.
Stimulus Payments for Many Low-Income Americans Are Still Being Processed. Heres Why (NY Times)
Fourth stimulus check: Will Biden and Congress give you another payment? (Yahoo)
Payment deferrals were a lifeline for millions during Covid. What happens when those end? (NBC)
Biden economic plan to focus 1st on infrastructure this week (AP)
Opening statements are set to begin in Derek Chauvins trial for the death of George Floyd (CNN)
Biden expresses confidence that rational gun control can pass evenly-divided Senate (CBS News)
Birx recalls very difficult call with Trump, says hundreds of thousands of Covid deaths were preventable (NBC)
Fauci warns against potential new COVID-19 surge as cases remain high (Face the Nation)
Vaccination Pace Increases But So Does Rate Of New COVID-19 Cases (NPR)
Europe looks to contain spiraling Covid crisis, but its Happy Monday in the UK (CNBC)
ICU cases creep toward new peak in French virus surge (AP)
Amid backlash, Comic-Con organizers defend Thanksgiving weekend convention scheduling (USA Today)
WHO report says animals likely source of COVID (AP)
Thousands attend rock concert in Barcelona after audience tested for Covid-19 (Yahoo)
Ever Given, container ship stuck in Suez Canal, partially refloated (Fox News)
Patch your iPhone and iPad: Apple security update stamps out active exploit (TechRadar)
Richest Czech Man Among 5 Killed in Alaska Helicopter Crash (US News & World Report)
Nashville flooding turns deadly after severe storms tear across South (UPI)
Andre Drummond signs with Lakers 2 days after Cavaliers bought him out (cleveland.com)
Black Adam Release Date Confirmed (IGN)
Argument between man and woman sparked shootout that injured 7 inside Cleveland motorcycle club, officials say
Hundreds attend Stop Asian Hate rally held in Cleveland
Lorain man last seen in early February found dead in Lake Erie; companion still missing
Brunswick native, Heidelberg University football player dies in ATV crash, school announces
Ohio reports 1,019 new coronavirus cases: Sunday update
Critics want Cleveland to replace zoning code allowing controversial, oversized townhouses, slot houses
Cleveland Clinic opens COVID-19 vaccination site on Brecksville Rd.
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India recorded 56,211 new cases of coronavirus, a slight dip from the countrys record-breaking tallies over the last three days, data from the health ministry showed on Tuesday.
The countrys tally dipped below the 60,000 mark after three days, a Reuters tally showed, with its richest state, Maharashtra, accounting for more than 31,000 of the 56,211 cases reported in the last 24 hours.
Deaths in the last 24 hours stood at 271, and 162,114 have died so far in the pandemic, the health ministry said.
Authorities in Maharashtra were considering whether to impose stricter curbs starting Thursday to contain the rapid spread of the virus, but opposition parties and industrialists have opposed a lockdown.
The people a lockdown hurts most are the poor, migrant workers & small businesses. The original lockdowns were essentially to buy time to build up hospital/health infrastructure. Lets focus on resurrecting that & on avoiding mortality, industrialist Anand Mahindra, who heads Mahindra, Indias autos-to-technology conglomerate, said on Twitter on Monday.
Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru and Shilpa Jamkhandikar in Mumbai. Editing by Gerry Doyle
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A draft report found animals are the likely origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers have found pregnant women have a strong immune response to the vaccines, and may pass some protection to newborns.
Cleveland.com is rounding up some of the most notable coronavirus news making headlines online. Heres what you need to know for Monday, March 29.
Animals were likely source of the coronavirus, report says
A joint report from the World Health Organization and China ranks four possibilities for the origins of COVID-19, and concludes the virus likely to very likely passed from bats to humans through another animal, according to the Associated Press. The other scenarios evaluated by the report include direct transmission from bats to humans, which it finds likely, and spread through cold-chain food products, which it finds possible but not likely. The report found the possibility it originated from a lab extremely unlikely.
Study finds pregnant women have strong immune response to vaccines
The COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna were highly effective at producing a robust immune response in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, according to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Researchers from hospitals and universities in the Boston area also found pregnant women may pass antibodies to newborns through breast milk and the placenta. The study found side effects were rare, and comparable to those found in women who are not pregnant.
Transplant recipients show insufficient response to vaccines
Organ transplant recipients and others who are immunocompromised had an insufficient immune response to the coronavirus vaccine, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine studied 439 transplant recipients and found only 17% produced detectable antibodies.
The recipients who were most likely to develop an immune response were younger than age 60, did not take anti-metabolites for immunosuppression and received the Moderna vaccine.
Coronavirus infects cells in the mouth, scientists find
An international team of scientists found evidence the coronavirus infects cells in the mouth, according to the National Institutes of Health. The potential for the virus to infect cells in the mouth may explain COVID-19 symptoms such as taste loss, dry mouth and blistering, according to the NIH.
It also raises the possibility the mouth may play a role in the virus reaching the lungs or digestive system. Further research could help inform strategies to reduce transmission within and outside the body, the NIH said.
Your coronavirus vaccine questions answered:
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Of the nearly 400,000 Ohio coronavirus cases reported since the beginning of vaccinations in mid-December, 34 are known to have involved people who were vaccinated before being infected -- and none have died.
While its not clear how when these people became infected after being vaccinated, and how many of the cases involved people who had received all their required shots, it seems like good evidence to get the vaccine. Were talking about it on This Week in the CLE.
Listen online here.
Editor Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with Leila Atassi, Jane Kahoun and me.
Youve been sending Chris lots of thoughts and suggestions on our from-the-newsroom account, in which he shares what were thinking about at cleveland.com. You can sign up for free by sending a text to 216-868-4802.
Here are the questions were answering today:
How many of Ohios 400,000 coronavirus cases since mid-December involve people who were vaccinated, and how many of them resulted in death?
How much trouble is Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Pinkey Carr in?
What has the pandemic taught us about what we need to do as a society to be prepared for the next one?
With a quarter of all Ohioans vaccinated, why have the coronavirus cases stopped dropping?
Cleveland State University unveiled its long anticipated CSU 2.0 plan Friday. What does it envision?
What is the Count the Kicks campaign? And how successful has it been elsewhere?
Where does unemployment stand in Ohio?
What does Lee Weingart, an announced Republican candidate challenging Democrat Armond Budish for Cuyahoga County executive in 2022, have to say about the plan announced last week to build or renovate the justice center and jail without competitive bidding or any source identified for the minimum half billion dollars it could cost?
How are churches and synagogues planning to handle the pandemic as they hit their high holy days over the next week?
Want more? You can find all our past episodes here.
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Texas Medical Center has been working diligently with the totality of its member institutions and both city and county officials to closely monitor the evolving Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and to develop an appropriate action plan as it relates to keeping citizens informed and prepared with up-to-date resources, guidelines, and ways to be vigilant when it comes to personal health protocol.
Texas Medical Center is sharing a set of metrics to better track how Houston is doing in its fight against COVID-19. These daily metrics include tracking of the reproduction rate (R(t)), daily new cases, and test positivity rates.TMC will continue to release its Coronavirus (COVID-19) monitoring metrics and data on weekdays. Saturday and Sundays data will be posted on Monday mornings.
Several Texas Medical Center (TMC) Hospitals have received shipments of the COVID-19 vaccines. TMC Members have released a joint statement insupport of vaccines whilereinforcing the continued importance of social measures to preventspread of COVID-19.
Angelina Angelina County And Cities Health District 936-630-8500 www.etxcovidvaccine.com BaileyMedical Clinic Of Muleshoehttps://muleshoehospital.com/ BastropA+ Life Style Medical Group866-268-2289http://www.covac.info/ BeeChristus Spohn Health System - Beeville877-335-5746https://vaccinate.christushealth.org/ Bee/BrooksCommunity Action Health Center361-362-0307www.cacost.org BellBell County Public Health Districthttps://www.bellcountyhealth.org/ BexarSan Antonio Metro Health District210-207-6000 Option 8https://covid19.sanantonio.gov/Services/Vaccination-for-COVID-19 BexarUniversity Health System210-644-1960WeCanDoItSA.com BexarUT Health San Antoniohttps://www.uthscsa.edu/patient-care/physicians/contact Bowie Christus St Michael Health System 877-335-5746 https://vaccinate.christushealth.org/ BrazosCHI St Joseph Health College Station Hospital979-774-2101https://st-joseph.org/covidvaccine BurnetBaylor Scott & White Medical Center- Marble Falls844-BSW-VACC/ 844-279-8222www.bswhealth.com/covidvaccine CameronCameron County Public Health956-247-3650https://www.cameroncounty.us/publichealth/index.php/coronavirus/ChambersChambers County Health Department409-267-2460www.co.chambers.tx.us/page/covidvaccine CollinAllen Fire Department214-509-4333https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/hmnkPQ1/vaccine CollinBaylor Scott & White Medical Center - Plano1-844-279-8222www.bswhealth.com/covidvaccine CollinCity Of McKinney Fire Department972-547-9000https://www.mckinneytexas.org/2256/Coronavirus-COVID-19 CollinCollin County Healthcare Services214-491-4838https://www.collincountytx.gov/healthcare_services/Pages/COVID19vaccines.aspx CoryellCoryell Health Medical Clinichttps://coryellhealth.org/clinics/ DallamCoon Memorial Hospitalhttps://dhchd.org/services/hospital/ DallasBaylor University Medical Center1-844-279-8222www.bswhealth.com/covidvaccine DallasCity of Dallas (Kay Bailey Hutchinson Center)https://dallascityhall.com/Pages/Coronavirus-Vaccine-Information.aspx DallasCity of Garland Health Department972-205-3900www.garlandtx.gov DallasDallas County Health and Human Services469-749-9900https://www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccination.php DallasParkland Hospitalhttps://www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccination.php DallasUT Southwestern Medical Center214-633-2021https://utswmed.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccination/ DentonDenton County Public Health940-349-2585www.dentoncounty.gov/vaccine DimmitDimmit Regional Hospital830-448-2210http://dimmitregionalhospital.com/ EctorMedical Center Hospital432-640-2220www.mchodessa.com Ellis Baylor Scott And White Medical Center - Waxahachie 844-279-8222; 844-BSW-VACC https://www.bswhealth.com/covid-vaccine El PasoCity of El Paso Fire Department915-212-6843https://www.elpasotexas.gov/fire-department El PasoUniversity Medical Center915-975-8901umcelpaso.org FallsFalls Community Hospital & Clinic254-803-3561www.fallshospital.com FanninTMC Bonham Hospitalhttps://tmcbonham.com/ Fort BendFort Bend County Health Department832-471-1373https://fort-bend-covid-19-response-fbc-hhs.hub.arcgis.com/ GalvestonGalveston County Health District409-938-7221www.gchd.org GalvestonUniversity Of Texas Medical Branch Hospital800-917-8906https://www.utmb.edu/covid-19/vaccine/patient-info GillespieHill Country Memorial Hospital830-990-6648https://www.hillcountrymemorial.org/covid-19-updates/ GreggCHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health System877-335-5746https://vaccinate.christushealth.org/ HarrisCHI St Lukes Health832-844-6352https://www.stlukeshealth.org/covidvaccine HarrisHarris County Public Healthhttps://vacstrac.hctx.net HarrisHouston Health Departmenthttps://houstonemergency.org/covid19/ Harris Houston Methodist Hospital281-626-5551https://www.houstonmethodist.org/texas-vaccine-hub/ HarrisMemorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center833-772-2864https://memorialhermann.org/covid19vaccine HarrisThe University of Texas Health Science Center at Houstonhttps://www.uth.edu/covidhub HaysHays County Health Departmenthttps://hayscountytx.com/departments/local-health-department/ HidalgoDoctors Hopital at Renaissance956-362-8800https://www.dhrhealth.com/patients-and-visitors/coronavirus-advisory HidalgoHidalgo County Health and Human Services956-292-7765https://www.hidalgocounty.us/1032/Health-and-Human-Services HidalgoUT Health RGV Employee Health Edinburg833-888-2268www.uthealthrgv.org HidalgoUT Health RGV Family Health833-888-2268www.uthealthrgv.org JeffersonJefferson County Health Departmenthttps://co.jefferson.tx.us/PublicHealth/PublicHealth.htm Jim WellsChristus Spohn Health System - Alice877-335-5746https://vaccinate.christushealth.org/ Johnson Cleburne Fire Department 817-357-4456 https://www.cleburne.net/1296/COVID-19-Vaccination-in-Cleburne KlebergChristus Spohn Health System - Kleberg877-335-5746https://vaccinate.christushealth.org/ KlebergKleberg County Sheriff's Office361-595-8577 Lamar Paris-Lamar Co Health Dept 903-737-4167 https://www.paristexas.gov/ La SalleLa Salle County Regional Health Authority830-483-5166https://www.co.la-salle.tx.us/ LibertyEmergency Hospital Systems, LLC281-592-5410www.emergencyhospitals.care LubbockCity of Lubbock Health Department806-775-2933https://ci.lubbock.tx.us/departments/civic-center/covid-19-vaccine-clinic MaverickEagle Pass Fire Department830-421-5151; 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Over the past year, more than half a million Americans have died from COVID-19. And although some government officials initially said the pandemic would be a great equalizer, it has been anything but that. Instead, the pandemic has shown us again what the United States really is: a nation of tremendous inequality.
Not only have there been substantial racial and economic disparities in death rates, but there have also been unequal effects among the living. For instance, while millions fell into poverty and struggled to put food on the table, others have weathered the pandemic relatively unscathed. According to some studies, Americas billionaires have made around $1 trillion dollars since the pandemic started.
But these patterns are hardly new; weve had two separate and unequal Americas for a long time. Its something Dr. Martin Luther King addressed more than five decades ago in this speech, The Other America. One America, King said, was overflowing with the milk of prosperity and the honey of opportunity, while in the other, people were perishing on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.
The pandemic has served to highlight the two Americas King spoke of, but the pandemic has also exacerbated the gap, largely through something sociologists call opportunity hoarding or the accumulation of resources at the exclusion of others.
This hoarding of opportunity matters a great deal, too, because its driving much of the inequality we see. Family wealth is one of the biggest predictors of who goes to college (and also who graduates). And in the pandemic, family wealth has been a big indicator of which children have fallen behind in school. Our health care system is also riddled with unequal access. In the pandemic, this has meant poorer Americans and Black and brown Americans have been more likely to die. Where we live, play and work is a question of opportunity, too. It affects, to use the language of King, every day the opportunity of having life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in all of their dimensions.
The Biden administration has taken steps to address this growing inequality both in its COVID-19 relief package and in executive orders that have explicitly focused on advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities. But these policies are not without controversy. One of the biggest critiques of them is that they cost too much money.
But what if our understanding of how much money we need as individuals and as a society to reduce staggering levels of inequality is wrong? And what if there are other important social costs like eroding trust in our institutions that we havent considered as a consequence of our unequal society?
Lets start with how much money actually makes someone happy; its not as much as you might think. In a 2018 study of over 1.7 million people from 164 countries, researchers from Purdue University and the University of Virginia found that people tended to be satisfied with their life once their household income was the equivalent of approximately $95,000; beyond that, there was no appreciable increase in what the researchers called a persons subjective well-being. In fact, the researchers found that, in some parts of the world, peoples happiness actually declined if they made more money.
Why isnt more money always better? This is a question that economists and psychologists have been studying since at least the 1970s. Economists initially observed that, somewhat paradoxically, economic growth did not reliably increase a countrys happiness. Decades later, psychologists offered an explanation as to why: Economic growth improves national happiness when the gains are distributed more equally. In other words, its only when economic gains are concentrated among a select few, as is the situation now in the U.S., that growth does not increase national happiness.
Thats an important point to understand because it suggests a countrys ultimate success lies beyond its gross domestic product. That is, a countrys citizens having equal opportunities to share in its progress is just as important as the countrys bottom line. Its not just opportunities to make more money that matter, either. Theres a whole body of research that suggests societal inequality is one of the strongest indicators of whether people trust each other. Trust is foundational for people to participate in the civic and social life that makes societies function, so if that trust doesnt exist and there are reasons to believe social trust has declined in recent years that poses a big problem for the U.S.
We are at an important crossroads in American society. The pandemic and all of its disparate impacts on our health, our education system, our politics have revealed just how fractured our society is. They have revealed that we may not be as exceptional as we once thought we were. We have not invested enough in the infrastructure and broader social institutions that are required to be exceptional in times like these. And we will not be able to do so or to do many of the things we need to do to build a better society as long as we continue the trend of enabling the few to hoard resources at the expense of the many. If we want to come out of the pandemic as a stronger and more united country, we will need to find pathways that put our citizens on more equal footing.
