The pandemic is ongoing. It just looks different because the danger shifted from acute mortality to long term sequelae.
The effects of repeated COVID infections are horrifying, but most people haven't woken up to that yet. It's a bit like HIV in the early 80s.
Epidemiologists with imagination have lived in fear of an airborne immunodeficiency virus since the mid 80s.
Now that it's here, political expediency has kept them mostly out of the public discourse, but I remember that fear being publicly discussed before COVID hit.
The arguments are still valid.
They saw the damage AIDS wrought, imagined what would have happened if it weren't so difficult to contract, and all but pissed themselves at the results of their thought experiments.
COVID in its current form doesn't often kill right away, but the long term damage is very similar to AIDS after repeated infections, or sometimes from just one.
Mask up, avoid crowds, filter your air. It's the only reliable defense we have for now.
The sad thing is that much of this was entirely predictable. Even long before long term effects began being reported in Covid19. We had already experienced Covid1-SARS and knew the threat to long-term health.
What I learned from Covid is that, at least, half of the American population are a lot stupider than I thought and I LIVE here. A good chunk of the Covid deaths were preventable but nah, they didn't like the idea of abiding by the Covid prevention rules
A lot stupider and a lot more malevolent.
We learned that many Americans are all too happy to throw anyone else to the literal grave if it inconveniences them the tiniest bit.
What I have learned from COVID:
“Holy shit I realize we haven’t been doing enough to prevent the spread not only of COVID but any contagious disease! I don’t have to accept to be sick 5-6 times a year! Wearing a mask is so easy! Protecting myself is the best way to protect others around me!”
The government: “Oh no! The COVID measures are out of proportion compared to the measures we take for other diseases so we have to eliminate them all!”
Just saw this, thanks for asking! I'm way overdue for a book, which I hope to put together one of these years. In the meantime, the best way to support my work is to subscribe to my weekly newsletter via Mailchimp or Patreon. jensorensen.com/subscribe/
I get quite depressed when I think about it.
It's tough knowing that your Meals on Wheels deliverers (minus one great guy who masks) and neighbors don't care to mask for you. But I sure get a "Gaaaaaawd bleeeeess Yooooou!" anything I see them or get a call on the phone.
