There Won’t Be a Clear End to the Pandemic

[ShokWaveRider]

I have mixed feelings. All news articles are to be taken with a pinch of salt as most have their own agendas. I do not believe much said about Covid by anyone who is not of a medical/scientific ilk.

That said, sooner or later, those who are going to catch it will, those who are going to die from it will. The rest of us will muddle along taking our own sanctioned precautions, living life to the fullest we can. Enjoying simple pleasures like walking on the beach, our hobbies, and hanging with those of similar thinking. Actually exactly what we did before the pandemic.

 

[Amethyst]

I'm with your friend. This dangerous virus was let loose in the world, it's not going to go away, and we have to adjust to it. Personally I am still figuring out adjustments. For example, a close relative is in very bad health and not expected to live much longer. Funeral plans have been mentioned. Do we make the 1,000 mile trip to the funeral? Does anybody even dare go to a funeral? How awful would we feel if we said "Sorry, can't go because of COVID"?

My nurse friend told me that this will be around for a long time and we all need to adjust to a new way of doing things.

 

[easysurfer]

Regardless of clear end or not, I'm still gonna be a frequent hand washer and non-face toucher .

 

[Ronstar]

Regardless of clear end or not, I'm still gonna be a frequent hand washer and non-face toucher .

+1. But I’m done staying at home. I’m going to start roaming again soon.

 

[Marita40]

I can't imagine who thought there'd be a "sudden end" to Covid. It is a disease, after all. One certainly can't imagine there was a sudden end to the 1917-era flu pandemic or the Black Plague eras. Rather, pockets continued to break out in certain areas until finally subsiding, no doubt for years.

I haven't given into one second of time being afraid of Covid. I just take the prescribed precautions, wear my mask as ordered by law, and get on with life. It does not keep me from doing anything I want to do.

 

[Ian S]

I can't imagine who thought there'd be a "sudden end" to Covid.

I can.

 

[audreyh1]

I'm with your friend. This dangerous virus was let loose in the world, it's not going to go away, and we have to adjust to it. Personally I am still figuring out adjustments. For example, a close relative is in very bad health and not expected to live much longer. Funeral plans have been mentioned. Do we make the 1,000 mile trip to the funeral? Does anybody even dare go to a funeral? How awful would we feel if we said "Sorry, can't go because of COVID"?

I thought generally only funerals with immediate family were being held. We’re waiting for DF’s memorial service until it’s very safe. Otherwise what is the point? We want friends and family to be able to safely gather to remember him.

 

[audreyh1]

I can.

Oh I’ve definitely heard people say things like “this better be over soon”. And I wonder what they expect.

 

[JustCurious]

+1. But I’m done staying at home. I’m going to start roaming again soon.

I agree. I don't think we should be required to stay home and endure lockdowns for an indefinite period of time, at some point if there are too many restrictions for too long then life is not worth living as far as I'm concerned and at some point it goes beyond what a free civilized society should accept. People should be allowed to live and be free. If some people are afraid to go out then those people should stay home, but the rest of us should not be forced to stay home or be deprived of our freedoms.

 

[JustCurious]

I haven't given into one second of time being afraid of Covid. I just take the prescribed precautions, wear my mask as ordered by law, and get on with life. It does not keep me from doing anything I want to do.

Really? You haven't wanted to go to a movie theater, or a full service sit down restaurant, or travel, or go to church, or go to a bar, or a live concert, or sporting event, wedding, funeral?

 

[Freedom56]

Things should be returning to normal by the spring of 2022. I suspect the pharma industry will push therapeutics to secure recurring income rather than a one time vaccine. I know a lot of people in their 50's and 60's that were forced out of their jobs during the recession of 2008/2009. Many of those people never found suitable employment in their fields. Many just gave up looking. The same thing is happening this time. The virus will be under control but the impact on many people and businesses will linger for years to come. Before retiring, many of my colleagues stated that the system is set up in favor of financially irresponsible individuals and businesses and penalizes the financially responsible savers. To some extent, they were correct but the system they referred to is beginning to crumble.

 

[MichaelB]

Given time, we humans will adapt. If modern medicine conquers COVID, we’ll go back to normal - life as we lived it a year ago. If medicine only is able to treat it, we’ll learn to adjust, adapt, and live with it. Whichever the outcome, that will be the new normal, and everything else will be another page of fond memories of “good ol’ days.

 

[Chuckanut]

Oh I’ve definitely heard people say things like “this better be over soon”. And I wonder what they expect.

At the risk of sounding like a wise-guy, I think they expect that hope will be a plan.

Or maybe they are relatives of King Canute. The fellow who commanded the tide not to come in.

 

[Sojourner]

I do think that once a vaccine is approved, it will be the beginning of the end. That end will have a long tail, but for me personally, once I take it, I'm going to start traveling and going to indoor restaurants.

+1

I've long felt that once DGF and I have been vaccinated, we will start to resume the activities that have been put on hold completely over the past six months. That, to me, will feel like "the end" of the pandemic from a personal standpoint. The minute I first step into an airplane or sit down inside a restaurant, it will certainly feel like the post-COVID era has begun for me. Having said that, though, I do expect some COVID-era behaviors—wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces, frequent hand washing, hand sanitizing, etc.—will persist well into the future. In that sense, the ghost of COVID will linger with us for some time.

 

[JustCurious]

The minute I first step into an airplane or sit down inside a restaurant, it will certainly feel like the post-COVID era has begun for me.

Not if I am forced to wear a mask, I will feel like the Covid era continues.

 

[RobbieB]

I'm still roaming, walking on the beach, walking the dogs, building stuff, going to stores (hardware, grocery) as always have. Two days in Pismo, take out meals and one patio (converted parking lot) meal.

I miss the dining the most. Take out is almost as good, but not quite. Going to get my teeth cleaned next week too.

 

[Marita40]

Really? You haven't wanted to go to a movie theater, or a full service sit down restaurant, or travel, or go to church, or go to a bar, or a live concert, or sporting event, wedding, funeral?

Well, let's see. I don't go to movies in general. I eat at a full service sit down restaurant at least once a week. I go to Mass daily. I never attend sports events. I went to a funeral at my church that was delayed since March last week. So I guess I only do miss live concerts, although the local orchestra has been very generous with streamed performances. So no, as stated, I don't feel deprived but have noted that some people are upset when you say you don't miss things! One of the curiosities of our times.

 

[JustCurious]

So no, as stated, I don't feel deprived but have noted that some people are upset when you say you don't miss things! One of the curiosities of our times.

Really? People get upset when you say you don't miss things? That is curious.

I do miss most of the things I listed.

 

[Marita40]

Really? People get upset when you say you don't miss things? That is curious.

Given your screen name, you've had a field day!

 

[MRG]

My grandfather was born in 1890, the same year the Russian flu hit killing a lot of people, but it was over. Until 1893 when his father died from the second wave of the Russian flu. Of course it was over until 1895 when his mother died in the third wave.

A lot of people died in the second and third waves but I bet they thought life was normal in 1891, 1892, 1894.......

 

[Sojourner]

I have grown very leery of what I read in Atlantic magazine. I don't want to get too specific, but let's just say they violate a lot of Jim Lehrer's rules of journalism.

IMHO, The Atlantic is one of the very few online magazines that actually strives for (and achieves) fact-based, intelligent, thoughtful, quality journalism on a regular basis. Sure, sometimes their opinion pieces can be a little biased, but they are far better than most others in this respect. Which of Lehrer's rules of journalism are they violating?

The Atlantic, writing long-form articles about straw men? Never!

I read the article originally referenced and quoted by MidPack and didn't find any sort of straw man issues with it. What kind of straw man are you referring to? For those wondering, a straw man fallacy happens when you exaggerate or extremely distort a point or argument someone's making, and then attack the extreme distortion as if that's actually the claim the other person is making. I saw none of this in the article... but please feel free to point it out if I'm mistaken.

 

[ivinsfan]

IMHO, The Atlantic is one of the very few online magazines that actually strives for (and achieves) fact-based, intelligent, thoughtful, quality journalism on a regular basis. Sure, sometimes their opinion pieces can be a little biased, but they are far better than most others in this respect. Which of Lehrer's rules of journalism are they violating?



I read the article originally referenced and quoted by MidPack and didn't find any sort of straw man issues with it. What kind of straw man are you referring to? For those wondering, a straw man fallacy happens when you exaggerate or extremely distort a point or argument someone's making, and then attack the extreme distortion as if that's actually the claim the other person is making. I saw none of this in the article... but please feel free to point it out if I'm mistaken.

Are you sure you read the right article....I'm with Chuckanut here, but I dont need to defend my thinking on the Atlantic to anyone. You certainly can have have your own opinion.

 

[FIREd]

I accept the fact that this pandemic will likely be with us for a long time. I take reasonable precautions and I've resumed a fairly normal life. Infection rates here are back to what they were in the Spring, but the atmosphere and people's attitude is way different. Most of us have already adapted to the situation.

 

[Midpack]

There are probably people "out there" who believe that (kinda like the movie contagion?) soon we'll have a vaccine which will equal immunity and...voila? So maybe that's the audience for this piece - the low-information reader (but also not then likely one of their readers? idk..)

But all the early vaccines are going to work like the flu ones. 50 - 70% immunity (still, worth it!). Good, not perfect, and not for everyone. At the same time, therapies are evolving. So, yeah one day, we'll get to a place where the virus infection rate is significantly reduced, and the risk of severe illness from it is also brought down.

Gradually the risk will be acceptable, and manageable, for more and more of us.

Which is what the article said. They may have revised their thinking, but there were quite a few posts here that seemed to conclude a safe, effective vaccine would allow us to get back to the old “normal.” But it won’t be 100% effective and it will take a long time to vaccinate all willing 330 million Americans or 7 billion earthlings. Then there’s the anti-vaxxers and others we get to live with - who won’t be wearing identification so you know you’re being exposed to them. It’s going to be drawn out if only because we all get to decide what’s safe and when for ourselves - some people have been going to large gatherings already while others are still rarely going out in public except for essentials if that. They haven’t been to a restaurant yet, some note how little gasoline they’ve used since March, etc.

 

[geeky_grrl]

I must be an oddball because I'm locked down more than I was in the spring. Infection rates in my community have been way higher over the summer so I've hunkered down more. I have rough ideas of the metrics when I would feel comfortable doing a number of activities (curbside pickup, shopping in a store or picking up takeout, dining in a restaurant, etc). If i can get a vaccine I may revise those somewhat since my risk goes down, but I'll be expanding my bubble one step at a time still.