Three years from now, a child will be diagnosed with migraines. In five years, a parent will be diagnosed with dementia. You’ll learn of a neighbor who struggles with bipolar disorder; a friend with a rare cancer; a colleague with ongoing symptoms from COVID-19. In eight years you will develop chronic pain. Your child, now older, will develop an interest in science, and leave the country to pursue it.

You will not be alone. Millions of other Americans will suffer from chronic disease and infection. And millions of Americans — most of us, really — will not know about the lost science that might have made a difference.

We will not know about the halted clinical trials that would have led to new therapies. We will not know about the imminent discoveries from labs that were forced to shut down. We will not know about the young people who decided to leave science or the country rather than pursuing research that would have led to breakthroughs in treatments for Alzheimer’s or mental health.

In the face of death or suffering or mere nuisance, we will surely ask: Why me? Why her? What could have been different? Psychological

© The Leader