Its not every day that a respiratory illness becomes the primary point of conversation in the U.S., but the new coronavirus, which causes the illness known as COVID-19, has us in a near-pandemic.

Epidemic is a powerful word. It generates bold headlines, congressional hearings, research dollars and dramatic, high-stakes hunts for culprits. It’s a word that has lately been attached to autism.

Most people experience periods of loneliness, isolation or solitude in their lives. But these are different things, and the proportion of people feeling lonely is stable over time. So why do we keep ...