Pandemics, Prevention, and the Certainty of Blame

A gate blocks the entrance of a farm whose poultry have been hit with a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza near Eagle Grove, Iowa on May 17, 2015. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Commentary

Several people of late have taken to ending their written communications to me with “Stay safe.” This is a locution that, for some reason or other that I cannot quite explain, I abominate and that infuriates me, even though I am sure that it is probably well-meaning and even in some cases heartfelt.