“Today, and despite the president’s own resistance, masks are widely accepted. Various polls show that the number of Americans who wear them, at least when entering stores, went from near zero in March to about 65 percent in early summer to 85 percent or even 90 percent in October. Seeing the president and many White House staffers stricken by the virus may convince yet more Americans to wear masks.” No one has done a better job of sharing the often grim analysis and predictions of scientific experts than the NYT’s Donald G. McNeil Jr. So when he shares some optimism, it’s worth noting. As he explains, the months ahead will be difficult. But the medical cavalry is coming, and the rest of us know what we need to do. Despite the lack of leadership at the top, sane Americans have done a pretty good job taking the advice of experts. And despite constant attacks on the scientific community, that community just keeps on keeping on. And the drugs are coming. “Some are already modestly successful, such as the antiviral drug remdesivir and steroids like dexamethasone. But in the near distance are what Dr. William Schaffner, a preventive medicine specialist, has called ‘the cavalry’ — vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. They are likely to be far more effective.”

+ “We also have to be prepared to accept less-than-perfect solutions, such as rapid tests and masks, to bring society to a sustainable equilibrium of normalcy, rather than toggle between draconian lockdowns and ruinous free-for-alls for another year. A silver bullet may be months away, or longer. But bronze bullets abound.” Derek Thompson in The Atlantic: How to Keep a Fall Surge From Becoming a Winter Catastrophe. (George RR Martin could probably tighten up that headline a bit.)