There is no such thing as "zero-COVID." As the Omicron variant spreads to China's capital city, Beijing, the question is not if, but when and how, China will begin to "live with COVID-19" rather than continue to impose endless lockdowns. The problem is that under China's stifling political climate, this notion cannot be uttered, let alone debated. How did a country with a history of deep respect for science and a laser focus on becoming a global powerhouse in technology and innovation fall into such isolation from the rest of the world?