The daily news about the novel coronavirus is bad. Every day, we are told that the pandemic is out of control and that there is no end in sight. We read that the number of new cases is rising, deaths are climbing, and the United States has by far the most deaths of any country in the world. The economy is collapsing, unemployment is spiking, and a depression is coming. But experts warn us that reopening the economy will just mean more suffering and death.

It is true that the pandemic’s toll on our health and economic well-being has been devastating. But a review of public reports, statistics, and studies shows that the future is not as dire as we are being told by the national media.