There has been a fair amount of discussion regarding Fauci’s latest public comments on this covid pandemic. I think Fauci is correct. We here in US have entered a transition phase in this pandemic. Two separate interviews I have read about Fauci’s comments both indicate he does not think we are out of the pandemic completely but are transitioning toward an endemic phase. He also indicated that, as with everything else covid, there remains much uncertainty because the world is definitely not in the same place the US is currently.
This is a reality—serum surveillance indicates that upwards of 2/3s of all Americans have been infected and a national vax rate of 54-56% coupled with the prior infection rate has bestowed some measure of population level immunity. This immunity is not sterilizing immunity (prevent infections with Omicron variants) but life-saving immunity (prevent serious illness and/or death) among those with persistent prior-infection immunity but more so with vaccinated with or without a prior or subsequent infection. Granted, those with only a prior infection acquired immunity are still rolling the dice as we know that immunity is variable in strength and durability. However, we also now have actual effective therapeutics to treat and prevent serious illness and death.
The above facts present an interesting reality—anti-vaxxers can say, “see, natural immunity helped us get to ”herd immunity” without those dangerous vaccines“ and “we have therapeutics now.” Granted many still rely on debunked efficacy of IVM and HCQ and all the associated snake oil ‘cures’ and not so much the monoclonals, anti-virals, and remdesivir but they are factually correct. However, as many pointed out when the dipshits released their Great Barrington Declaration, the cost of attaining ”herd immunity” by the “let er rip and let doG sort em out” was extremely steep in its human toll.
Pro-vaccinators can now point out that, “see, your policy of let er rip was unnecessarily painful and extremely damaging—in terms of needlessly wasted or injured human lives, economic terms, and in holding society together through our societal compacts of doing what is best for the vast majority.” This is also factually correct. Unfortunately too many (even among the non-antivaxxer folks) will recognize the benefit of this painfully acquired population level immunity without acknowledging the truly painful and unnecessary costs.
I think Fauci is correct in that we are in a transitioning phase here in US and the challenge now is recognizing this and somehow coming to terms with the absolute demonstrated reality that a significant portion of our population will actively work against the common good if the effort to do so even slightly inconveniences them.This is a difficult reality to acknowledge. Yet, somehow, we do need to acknowledge this and worse yet, try to figure out how to move forward as communities knowing this is the reality. I struggle with this daily as I would prefer not to do business with nor associate with people who are actively demonstrating they couldn’t give a damn about the well-being of those around them because of their political or religious or propagandized beliefs. Additionally, there are just too damn many of these types to effectively avoid doing business and still function. It is a challenge and I wonder how others are approaching or dealing with this transition.