Do you feel like we are beginning to enter a "Post Pandemic"era?

[smahala1991]

Many places are starting to drop covid restrictions completely.

[goaded]

I think the PTB have decided that it's better to let lots of people catch the Omicron variant and gain a measure of immunity on top of vaccination immunity before another variant comes along which is just as contagious but far more deadly.

Some would have you believe that the virus can only get less deadly; they're wrong.

https://eand.co/living-with-covid-is-a-reckless-and-foolish-gamble-18244b2f456a?source=collection_home---4------0----------------------- :

Here’s virologist Prof Lawrence Young of Warwick University. “People seem to think there has been a linear evolution of the virus from Alpha to Beta to Delta to Omicron,” he told the Observer. “But that is simply not the case. The idea that virus variants will continue to get milder is wrong. A new one could turn out to be even more pathogenic than the Delta variant, for example.”

David Nabarro, a special envoy on Covid-19 for the World Health Organization, also highlighted the uncertainty of how future variants might behave: “There will be more variants after Omicron and if they are more transmissible they will dominate. In addition, they may cause different patterns of illness, in other words, they may turn out to be more lethal or have more long-term consequences.”

“The new report (Report 49 [http://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/232698/omicron-largely-evades-immunity-from-past/]) from the Imperial College London COVID-19 response team estimates that the risk of reinfection with the Omicron variant is 5.4 times greater than that of the Delta variant. This implies that the protection against reinfection by Omicron afforded by past infection may be as low as 19%.”

[Screenwriter]

Gonna say THIS about THAT!!!

It is TOO EARLY TO DROP EVERY PROTECTION. The U. S. is still only 65% vaxxed to begin with. In some areas that rate is 38% or lower.

No children younger than 5 are vaxxed at all, so they are vulnerable OR, worse yet, if they're infected, they infect the rest of their families.

The saddest occurrences on the planet are babies and young children dying needlessly from Covid 19. I liken Covid to TB, polio or smallpox. Many became infected, but death rates didn't' wipe out entire populations.

Remember, the DEATH RATE from Covid -19 DEPENDS ON how much you are exposed to sick/unvaxxed people, your age, co-morbidities, whether you have young children or elders you regularly interact with, and whether you stick to your POD and mask when NOT with people in your POD. Always mask in enclosed public spaces: groceries, department stores, home DIY stores.

I have to be careful because of relatives and a friend: one's a heart patient, another a wheelchair paraplegic who has had Covid and pneumonia twice in the past year, another who'a paraplegic and doesn't even get her nails done because of poor circulation.

I'm past 65. However, even healthy, young eople get Covid-19. It is a crap shoot. Is it worth the toy with an unpredictable illness we still don't know the long-term effects of?

I say, mask indoors, N-95 masks are readily available, though costly. But that $2 mask I wear for the six hours a day I work is worth every penny. I change it twice a day and rotate masks. I'm vaxxed and boosted and so is my 26-year-old electrician son. I avoid hanging around where I don't know the status of nearby people. I rarely attend restaurants where PCR tests are required, and after eating, puts my mask back on to talk.

[Screenwriter]

I have no co-morbidities, but I minimize my risks in all situations by masking.

It's Carnival and parades are happening. I've decided to go to three parades and to mask while standing in crowds, who I expect will be yelling , screaming and unmasked people from all over the country and the world. I COULD attend 12 parades this weekend alone. Next weekend I could attend 20 going toward Mardi Gras day.

Next Saturday, Monday and Mardi Gras day are my only parades. I will watch two parades on Mardi Gras (there are four or six, at least in the city) that occur in the morning and I'll go home. I MIGHT bike to a costume contest in the French Quarter. But I will limit my time in big crowds and will mask. I WILL NOT ATTEND Endymion and Bacchus, the two parades that pull crowds as large as Mardi Gras day the Saturday and Sunday evening before Mardi Gras.

It's all about MINIMIZING RISKS. People are tired of masking, for sure. But if the alternative is to get sick and in the long run not know the outcome FROM that sickness, why risk? To see a Mardi Gras parade? To FEEL FREE?

I think this illness will go the way of the flu, smallpox and polio. It will become another illness that vaccines will eventually wipe out if every baby and the majority of adults get vaccinated

[Screenwriter]

Remember, the UNVACCINATED BENEFIT FROM THE MAJORITY OF VACCINATED PEOPLE. So when unvaxxed people tout that they've never gotten sick, laugh at their ignorance.

There is no need to be foolishly careless and ignore the science of GERM TRANSMISSION. Wash your hands "Like a Surgeon" (and sing the Weird Al Yankovich song while you wash), sung to "Like a Virgin"'s tune.

Wear a mask in enclosed spaces. Take it off to eat and put it back on to talk. Keep cleaning home surfaces if you have ANY risk factors: doorknobs, bottoms of shoes, countertops. If work people enter your home KEEP THEM MASKED. Stick to your POD and your guns.

If you don't mask, don't vax, don't clean and are always with people you don't know and you've never gotten sick, you have a robust immune system, are around a lot of vaxxed people AND are extremely lucky. I wouldn't predicate how I live on variables I have no control over. Control what you can, and make your life as safe, simple and EASY as possible.

[Agagagagaga]

You liken Covid to tuberculosis and small pox? Fuck sake, you’re not only living in fear you’re also an idiot.

Smallpox carried over a 30% fatality rate if infected. Your chances of dying from Covid are infinitesimally smaller. Fucking morons man. Goddamn.

[exitseven]

@Agagagagaga Screenwriter has some valid concerns. Just because it is statistically less likely you will die of Covid than smallpox you will be just as dead.

[Juxtapose]

@exitseven "infinitesimally smaller" is definitely relevant.

[Screenwriter]

@Juxtapose I did not bring up smallpox, polio and TB because they have been wiped out, in the first two cases, worldwide. In the last, nearly wiped out due to world health care. I stated the death rate for Covid, which is 4%. I'm NOT living in fear. I take precautions. If I was living in fear, I'd never go anywhere, I'd not have a job in a grocery store.

I'm rational about my risks and am not a fearful person. Since I have no co morbidities, I'm not worried about being hospitalized, but I definitely don't want to get sick, since I'm not 35, but nearly twice that age.

I take the same precautions about diving off cliffs. If I don't know the bottom, I don't do it.

All I'm saying is hold off on dropping masks. Keep social distances and restrict yourself to your PODS. The high point of infections was a few weeks ago and this illness is still with us.

Err on the side of caution. It ain't fun, but it's reasonable.

[Screenwriter]

Excuse me. Bad edit. I brought up smallpox and polio because they are viruses that have been wiped out by vaccines.

Modern health care and sanitation and testing have almost wiped out TB worldwide. There might be 100 to 200 cases in the US. A few thousand around the world. But nothing like it was in the 19th century when people routinely died of "consumption." (Think of Doc Holliday from "Tombstone.")

I never compared the infection or death rates of smallpox to Covid. That was never what I was writing about. Thanks.

[Aerissa_Jade]

We have been out of it here for a while, the initial shutdown killed a ton of businesses, each wave after that no one cared cause we saw the damage done.

Hundreds of closed down stores sitting empty when I go into the big city, yet help wanted signs everywhere for those still opened. Interesting situation, those places still open often have long lines of customers waiting.

Seems like the end of the pandemic is going to be the beginning of massive inflation and 100 dollar bread loafs with long lines.

It might as well be over here, except I want it to keep going so I can work from home longer.

[molonski2]

I was never is any Pandemic era in the first place , but I like everyone else had this utter bullshit enforced upon me , its sad but people die for many reasons and their were a heep of people who literally enjoyed all this utter crp of being told what to do , when to do it etc etc , and it has shown how very very easy it is to actually " control the masses " we had government officials talking about " micro chipping for vaccination " ...

NOW - Its pretty dam simple , all this BULLSHIT ( masks , lockdowns , mandatory vaccination , destruction of freedoms etc etc ) MUST STOP , AND IT WILL STOP NOW.. Enough is enough , if you die you die , and frankly if you do ( from this ) you were not in good nik to begin with , they have only been counting one type of death --
" Total deaths all causes " is the only figure that matters.
ITS CERTAINLY POST PANDEMIC , AND THIS UTTER BULLSHIT REACTION around the world in general MUST NEVER OCCUR AGAIN , enough is certainly enough , trying to destroy the lives of those creators , business people , artists. What a joke this nonsense has been.

[Friendlybro79]

I'm not sure. I hope so but my concern is we're too impatient and rushing to remove mandates while roughly 2300 people are still dying daily just in the US. My concern is that as this omicron wave of cases seems to be dropping it is no where near gone.

We've seen downturns like this before only for huge spikes to happen again when everyone puts their guard down. Hopefully a weaker variant will be on the way that can kill way less people. Unfortunately people think 1% is too small to worry about but that's a lot of loved ones when you do the math.

[pjnickles]

No. We're entering the extreme political idiocy era, where people believe everything politicians say and then peach what they've been brainwashed with to create yet more programed imbeciles. All to what end? One person's supposed truth? Damned sheep who can't think for themselves being led by a wolf. SMH

[courtney06]

Yes and we are already in Idiocracy era

[ohshee]

Well do t let your let your guard down they will hit us again with something just to see how many people they still have did you know with enough propaganda with enough fear tactics all it takes is two months to brainwash somebody and I mean brainwash them to where they will never ever change their mind they will always believe what you have told them with enough fear and enough propaganda

[EmbraceThePain]

Somewhat.


Where I’m at, it’s hard to truly feel the affects or changes occurring in the states.


I’ll have to come back home to really feel the gravity of all of us, but honestly even when I was home during COVID, my life wasn’t really affected by it because of what I do in my life and my lifestyle in general.

[The_Shadow_Dweller]

Since Deltacron variant is the latest variant discovered. I really do not think so.
Things will come back to normal and then again go to lockdown like conditions.

This will go on till all absolute 100% of people gain immunity from all the variants. Scare will spread even if one casualty is there.

[CourtneyJane]

I believe so. The club that I work at has recently dropped all covid restrictions, so patrons don't have to wear a mask anymore, and the talent doesn't have to wear masks off stage or in the dressing room either as long as they're fully vaccinated.

It feels good to breathe freely again.

[exitseven]

Yes, not because of the so called science but because people have just had enough and won't put up with all the ridiculous mandates and rules that the people in charge just ignore anyway. Besides, when Biden secures the southern border and stops letting millions on unvaccinated people flow into the country and ships them all over the country they can come and talk to me about wearing a mask.

[pizzalovershouse]

I think it's the calm before next wave again an again we keep letting guard down cuz people want to be done with mask so it's not over the next strain will restart the mask in public again an people will get pissed but if every one got vaccinated we be getting done with it but people dont get it if your not vaccinated then you let new strains grow an then more booster shots for the ones who already got shots never ends till a cure is made

[sawno]

I think its their attempt to fake it before we force them to remove the draconian laws they introduced. We need to keep up the heat until they rolled it all back. Merely suspending tge measures is not enough.

[whistlingwh0res]

as of today, my city Toronto drops all the restriction and vaccine ID. I think it's progress. I mean only 1 percent of people die. What about 99% of people? It's too much. I mean.. if someone feel like in danger of life then be careful and the rest of the people can live their life as it used to. 1%!

[Friendlybro79]

Say that to people that have lost someone to covid

[ObscuredBeyond]

@Friendlybro79 : I lost someone to Huntington's, and she was Terri Schiavoed and died in agony. All because there was no federal covid money going to the state or the hospital to fund her physical therapy, nor ease her pain. If it weren't covid, nobody cared about you. Defend that!

[Friendlybro79]

@ObscuredBeyond That's terrible. Sorry for your loss. I can't defend or argue that a hospital only cares about covid. What is happening is unvaccinated people taking space away from other non covid related issues and this is such a horrible example. If more people were vaccinated other people would have room. The proof to that is in the numbers of vaccinated vs unvaccinated in icu beds. Again I'm so sorry about your loved one.

[Agagagagaga]

@Friendlybro79 so what, we’re all going to live in fear with masks strapped to our faces and round after round of boosters because someone’s 90 year old grandma died? Fuck off.

[Friendlybro79]

@Agagagagaga Same to you ten times over. Also, who's talking about living in fear? It's simple. The more vaccinated less deaths. It doesn't just kill 90 yr olds even if the oldest are most vulnerable. There's still too many unvaccinated people getting sick and clogging up the hospitals. Even ass hats like you deserve to get a hospital bed if something bad happens to you... Like a car accident or whatever. How about living in reality not fear?

[Agagagagaga]

@Friendlybro79 so stay inside and staple a mask to your face then you goddamn cowardly fuck. You probably wear a mask in your car and even when you’re out on a goddamn hiking trail in a forest.

Tell me please, oh wise one, when does this end? When does ANY of this ever end? Who gets to give the “all clear”? The CDC? The WHO? Fauci? Biden?

What will it take to get you to ever stop acting like the goddamn sky is falling?

[Friendlybro79]

@Agagagagaga You're an agry little troll aren't you? Who knew a mask would make you lose your mind? Why does someone else wearing a mask upset you're little feelings so much? You don't have to wear a mask you don't have to get vaccinated...

But to answer your question it's over when it's over.. Who knows this is real life. It's not a conspiracy. 1 in roughly 360 Americans have died of covid if you use latest US pop estimates as of Jan 1. I'm sorry their deaths are inconvenient for you and you don't think their suffering before dying matters. You can feel this way and no one can stop you. Do what you gotta do. Some people only learn the hard way and it's usually the loud mouths like you.

[Agagagagaga]

@Friendlybro79 a mask hasn’t made me lose my mind. It’s chickenshit little authoritarians like you who want everyone else to play along with your stupidity.

2 weeks to “flatten the curve” has turned into 2 years. You don’t have to wear a mask. You do have to wear a mask. You should wear two masks. It’s just a shot. It’s just two shots. It’s just two shots and a booster. It’s just two shots and a booster and regular boosters after that. We’ll have heard immunity at 60%. No 70%. No we won’t have heard immunity until it’s 80%. No we need everyone to be vaccinated for it to be effective.

Yeah. You’re damn right I’m angry. I’m angry at cowards like you who blindly bend over and take it from the rear from these fucks because of “public health.”

You sicken me.

[Friendlybro79]

@Agagagagaga I'll use similar language to ensure you feel treated equally here. Don't wear your mask and don't get the vaccine. You don't have to. You have most definitely lost your mind.

I'm ok with sickening you because you're an imbecile with zero empathy for others but yourself. So continue being sickened and name call. I'll do the same. I believe in treating people how they want to be treated.

I'm a chicken shit? I'm not scared of a little mask or a vaccine like you are. It's just a mask lol. It's not a big deal at all and it would be worse if no one ever wore one fool.

I'm just reacting according to the situation and trying to encourage people to choose to be safe which is horrible to you because things change. Yes science will do that when something new enters the equation. Without the vaccine there'd be millions more dead world wide. Not just one million either. You're a jack ass

I'm also not an authoritarian you dumb fuck. I think if a novel virus is killing millions globally and there is a vaccine you should get it because it's the smart thing. There's no more wonder if it's safe jackass it's saving lives. If I was authoritarian I'd say we should line people up and force shots.

Dear simpleton here is an ex of authoritarianism. Authoritarians try to overturn elections and claim themselves dictators by convincing masses of stupid people to storm the capitol. Then when they break in and chant to kill the VP, you're own VP mind you, you sit back idle and let it continue.. Then a year later still try to continuously destroy our democracy by perpetuating a lie because you're a sore loser and continue to say the election should be overturned and was rigged. When a man tries to become a dictator and overturn the will of the American people that's authoritarianism.

Keep crying you whiney little entitled prick. Do yourself a favor and get out side today and stop pretending you're being prevented from living.

[Levin]

I hope so.

But all the worst of humanity was on display during the pandemic, and I can't imagine such wicked actions could be undertaken without there being severe long term consequences.

[Citizenkirk]

We still have HIV, Syphilis, typhoid, and T. B. too contend with. Just because they are not new, does not mean they are not a problem. And then there's hepatitis B and C.🤯

[robocop666]

flu viruses evolve weaker after a year or two. More dangerous strains make people stay at home sick or die and find it harder to spread. Weaker strains are spread more easily as people are able to socialise.

I think all flu viruses never went away they just mutated into safer strains and people forgot about them. Spanish flu, bird flu etc.

The only worry is if omicron mutates into a dangerous strain later. By the time we find out it will be too late.

[Dargil]

Covid will fade and mutate to weaker strains. I had Omicron in January. I have had worse Flu bugs. Herd immunity and medicines are making it harder for covid to find new hosts. My SO and I sleep in the same bed and she never got it.

[Nozgrd74]

My state of South Dakota never locked down, so we weren't affected too much. Just a few places requiring masks (until almost a year ago aside from a hospital).
Life has been normal aside from some catching Covid like any other state.

I'm vaccinated, two shots, moderna... Err.. maderna? Whatever.

Move on people.

[Guy13]

I DONT FEEL 💩.

I THINK and I KNOW that the flu on steroids and just flu a year ago has been over except Government has had so much Controlling the Global Systems that it can’t stop 🛑

[EnglishEuropean]

government doesn't control the virus man.

[Alyssa_11]

Definitely. At least here in the UK inflation rates have reached an all time high and mental health referrals are also very high compared to before.

Now for the Russia/Ukraine conflict...

[Bel88]

No, that's still a long way off. Perhaps in early 2023.

[dustybiker]

Not at all yet. The dip in my area is for three months immunity due to high local positives over the holidays.

[Stoner710]

Depending where you live we’ve been in the past pandemic era in Florida they’ve been in the post pandemic era since around May 2020

[AviatorTom]

Yes, finally. Witness the Superbowl, where 70 thousand people were in the stands. Just a few months ago, the stands would have been almost empty.

[Juliette1994]

I think next be the depression. Like what followed WWI.

[Tiptoetamm]

I hope so things seem way more normal now. Or we are just adapting to everything

[BipBipLeddus]

I certainly hope so. There's still people not taking it seriously, after all.

[FunkyMonkee]

Kinda looks that way but, they'll either come up with another reason to lock down or something else to torture us with.

[msc545]

People are still getting sick from covid and people are still dying from covid and covid is still spreading. Wishing that something would be true does not make it true.

[Rangers]

I sure hope so, and China owes everyone a massive payout for releasing the virus over and over again

[skyeee_]

kinda. but my expectations for covid to end anywhere in 2022 are very low

[yofuknutz]

Yeah no kidding find out for real if strep infections have gone down that's how you know things are really gotten better or not

[DiegoO]

We are near it, but if the tension between Russia, US&alies, increase to the point of been WW3, you can bet the pandemic is gonna get worst than ever.

[bulletbob555]

Its not going away. Everyone is so ready for it to be over that every time they say its over restrictions are dropped and it goes bad again. I'm not saying that its not but let's wait and see

[globetrotter22]

We should of been if when the vaccines became widely available

[DaveToo]

I can start feeling that way when people stop dying from being infected.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

Yes, I believe we are and I feel it's time for a new beginning

[Luopio27]

Last time they took away all restrictions, a month or two later, every restriction came back with full throttle.

[KingofCups]

About fucking time, missed out on the better part of my 20s bc of this bullshit plandemic.

[OddBeMe]

Not really. We’re just ignoring the issues because people are so entrenched as antivaxxers there’s no point.

[MJtheCoach]

Yes because that stage of the mark of the beast is finished!
Time to rollout the cashless society and enslave all of us

[Juxtapose]

Kind of funny how these drops in restrictions are happening around midterms isn't it?

[EnglishEuropean]

Nope, the Pandemic is still out there. Dropping restrictions just increases the infection rate.

[Snakeyes7]

I hope so but I am not buying it. That seemed too easy.

[anton_dee]

Yess. By year end its gonna be just another flu thingie..

[Ryfyle]

@smahala1991 the will never relinquish control willingly.

[driven159]

yes by the end of the year we should be back to normal

[888theGreat]

Nope, I feel Covid 22 will be coming through to allow Democrats to cheat to win elections of 2022 .

[fjb2021]

Yes we are. Democrats are trying to take credit for it.

[Better_off_here]

that is just wait until the next variant will come into play now :(

[Kingofkings1992]

I sure the fuck hope so. It has gotten to the point of being insufferable.

[NathanDavis]

I've been there for almost a year now... lol

[pixie215]

hopefully, i think until next winter anyways

[josephinelcajon]

Until the next strain comes soon

[FilmGuy93]

I do not feel that way, no.

[Dingsbums]

Now we enter the freeze ur bank account era

[boobliker]

no two more waves to go Or so iam told

[Flower7]

No, not even close!

[Jackba57]

Absolutely. Time to live life without fear.

[anylolone]

Beginning? We are already there.

[Mediterraneansoul]

I don't know about that. More like pre world chaos

[Sabretooth]

we all know how this'll end.

[dray995]

I certainly hope so!

[SAMI_DABBAB]

Not yet I'm afraid