PANDEMIC, OR NOW, JUST ENDEMIC

When Is It No Longer a Pandemic?

Some Definitions to Start

Pandemic - a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease over a whole country or the world at a particular time.

Endemic - Referring to the usual prevalence of a given disease or infection in an area or group. Endemic conditions do not exhibit wide fluctuations over time in a defined place. (2) For microparasites, such as measles, endemic refers to an infection that can persist in a population in the long term without reintroduction from outside.

In medicine, a disease is considered endemic when it can’t be completely cured/eliminated, but no longer justifies emergency action.  As such, flu is endemic each year during certain times.  We have flu shots, but they don’t work 100% of the time (for a variety of reasons).  However, we don’t consider smallpox endemic as it has been eradicated.  Ebola is localized, so isn’t called an epidemic or pandemic, unless there are a large number of cases.

The Issue Today

With Covid-19 (or the CCP virus, as it should be known), we started with an epidemic.  It became a pandemic because we are globalized and people travel, carrying disease with them.  As it had a longer incubation period than most diseases, you could spread it, symptom-free, for a number of days.  At the end of 2019 (or earlier), we had no real treatments, nor a vaccine, so it justified some pretty draconian solutions.  This is no longer the case.

We have vaccines (they were actually available to some in early 2020) and throughout the past time period have seen a variety of treatments that either lessen the severity of the disease or render it non-detectable.  As such, it is now endemic in the world’s population.  And what do we do when something is endemic, like the common cold or the flu?  We protect the elderly or weak, as we can, but we allow everyone freedom to do what they want.  Even elderly people can make a choice as to how much risk they are willing to take.  In America, that is their right. 

I have seen people of all ages and health criteria take risks even I wouldn’t consider, mostly to good effect.  On a trip, an avid and experienced diver out-dove us even in his ‘90’s.  Yes, we all sign a holds-harmless agreement with the dive operation, but even had things gone wrong, he wouldn’t have sued.  He was exercising his freedom.

Omicron, etc.

Given the furor around the new variant, some call it the Moronic virus.  As all viruses do, the CCP virus has continued to mutate to a more infectious, less lethal form.  Something that is too lethal will die out, and though we don’t understand the mechanism, viruses have a desire to continue, so they mutate.  Often, these mutations make them harmless to humans. 

Viruses have to mutate in order to survive. As we limit them with vaccines, they try to adapt.  But remember - they need a host (us) to survive.

When a virus is widely circulating in a population and causing many infections, the likelihood of the virus mutating increases. The more opportunities a virus has to spread, the more it replicates – and the more opportunities it has to undergo changes.  Sometimes, things get worse.  But mutation is inevitable.  If the vaccine truly stopped infections in their tracks, and everyone had either had the disease or had the vaccine, this thing would die out.  But we don’t.

How it Should Be Handled

Covid-19 is now endemic in our population.  Those vaccinated, those who’ve had it or those who use the good drugs available to treat it may, in fact, get the disease.  But few will need to be hospitalized.  With these drugs, even those unvaccinated will probably survive.  If you are carrying co-morbidities, just like with flu season, you need to be careful and stay away from others for a time.  This is where masking might make sense.  But in most cases, masking isn’t something we should all be doing anymore.

The emergency actions need to stop.  Closing borders won’t help.  Masks won’t help.  Shutting down countries won’t help.  This is the “new normal,” and as such, we have to accept it and move on, just as we have with all the other vagaries of life, like colds and flu.

Why it Will Be Hard

People in government love power.  They’ve had unprecedented control over their citizens for too long and it has become addictive.  Wresting control back isn’t going to be easy, but we need to do it ASAP.  Otherwise, you’ll see new edicts and new agency “laws” that impact our freedoms and choices.  Rahm Emanuel once said it and it’s no less true today than it was when he spoke these words;” Never let a good crisis go to waste.”  That’s how governments see things, but it isn’t how we, the citizens should.

Write to Congress. Protest this power grab in any way you can.  Otherwise, life as you know it may never be the same.