Where do things stand in the US with the Covid-19 pandemic? How should we judge the response so far? How can we do better in the months ahead? In this Conversation, leading Harvard epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch shares his expertise on the Covid-19 crisis. Lipsitch argues that the country remains in a bad situation with respect to viral transmission, high or increasing numbers of cases in many parts of the country, and insufficient testing. It didn't have to be this way, he explains, and our failures endanger efforts to return to normal activity—and particularly the reopening of schools. Lipsitch discusses federal and state responses to the pandemic and shares ideas about how to meet the challenges ahead.