In the last few days and following the emergence of #COVIDzero, I've noticed an unsettling fissuring within the academic community.

As @IrfanDhalla says, people on both sides likely agree more than they disagree, but the divisiveness is unproductive: https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2020/11/17/experts-call-for-covidzero-strategy-to-weed-out-virus-but-will-it-work.html

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The #COVIDzero approach recognizes that there is a disjointed approach to #COVID19 in Canada that is causing uncertainty, unnecessary suffering, economic hardship, and preventable deaths.

#COVIDzero is based on a goal of 0 cases with 0 tolerance for community transmission.

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The "moderate" or "balanced" camp scoffs at this aspirational strategy, minimizing it to "hashtags and platitudes...on social media", highlighting its impossibility, and contends that we need to focus on "improving our ability to live with #COVID19": https://nationalpost.com/opinion/opinion-were-infectious-disease-experts-and-eliminating-covid-wont-happen-any-time-soon

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The "live with COVID19" approach also argues to "focus on preventing transmission amongst our most vulnerable and within congregate living settings", despite the known failings and questionable ethics of "shielding" or "focused protection" strategies: https://twitter.com/NathanStall/status/1324107362785918976?s=20

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If we're honest, the current Canadian approach to #COVID19 (outside of the Atlantic) is failing.

Hospitalizations, #LTC outbreaks and deaths are increasing, small businesses are struggling with uncertain futures, and the public is fatigued.

The status quo is unsustainable.

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As it stands, the goal posts keep moving and the roadmap gets redrawn on a seemingly daily basis.

In May, @IrfanDhalla emphasized the need for a "clear objective", and that "elimination, not adaptation, is the courageous #COVID19 choice for Canada": https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-elimination-not-adaptation-is-the-courageous-covid-19-choice-for/

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Most proponents of a #COVIDzero strategy understand that absolute elimination of #COVID19 is an aspirational strategy, but we also understand the need for a common objective to reinvigorate Canada's pandemic response.

As @DFisman says "don’t put the goal ahead of the task".

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Remarkably, many of the core strategies underpinning a #COVIDzero and a "balanced" approach are similar: https://twitter.com/BogochIsaac/status/1328561464962113536?s=20

Ultimately, healthy (and public) debate on this topic is needed, but an academic pissing match is not—this distracts from what needs to get done.

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