What America wants is a way out. COVID-19 has killed 175,000 people in the United States, more than the number of Americans who died in every military conflict since the Korean War—combined. Thirty million are out of work, with many at risk of losing their homes. Millions of students can’t attend school while many who do face risks and quarantine.

After six months of the worst public health crisis in a century, health experts across the country say the U.S. is perfectly capable of mounting a comeback if it embraces reality and taps its potential for ingenuity.

First, we must knuckle down and accomplish the obvious: Continue social distancing and strive for universal mask use. Close high-risk spaces, such as