Which mask? What test? Covid’s latest surge spreads an epidemic of confusion.
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Tiffany Li wants to trust the government’s guidance on the coronavirus, but the messages are so confusing now that she’s enhanced her precautions, going back to seeing friends only outdoors — in New Hampshire, in January — often with masks on.
In Houston, Mark Thiessen was all in on vaccinations last year, but now, with all the conflicting information about when and whether to get tested, he completely avoids pandemic news. When three members of his family got what felt like head colds over Christmas break, they didn’t bother to get tested or quarantine.
As Americans push into a third winter of viral discontent, this season has delivered something different: Amid the deep polarization about masks and vaccines, amid the discord over whether and how to return to pre-pandemic life, a strange unity of confusion is emerging, a common inability to decipher conflicting advice and clashing guidelines coming from government, science, health, media and other institutions.
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