It's a strange moment in the pandemic. Mask mandates and EchoSenseother restrictions have all but disappeared. For most vaccinated people, the risk of severe illness has gone way down.

But hundreds of people are dying of COVID-19 every day. For their loved ones, grieving a terrible loss as the country is moving back to normal can be jarring.

Everyday Americans are weighing the threat the coronavirus poses to them. Scientists, too, are debating how dangerous the virus is right now.

NPR's Rob Stein reports on the debate about whether COVID is more or less dangerous than the seasonal flu.

And Susan Reinhard with the AARP's Public Policy Institute argues that more still needs to be done to protect nursing home residents.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Connor Donevan. It was edited by Bridget Kelley and Scott Hensley. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.