The ongoing spring surge in COVID-19 infections isn’t quite as bad as it looks. Yes, cases are spiking in big eastern states including Florida, New Jersey, New York, and especially Michigan.

But there’s a silver lining. Because so many of America’s seniors have been vaccinated, more younger workers are getting infected this time around— and those younger people are far less likely to get really sick or die.

However, the surge—driven by the spread of dangerous new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and a reckless rush by governors and mayors to end a year of mask mandates and social distancing rules—isn’t just an immediate threat to unvaccinated people.