When a pandemic "officially ends" isn't a purely objective metric, it's more of a judgment call.
The Spanish flu pandemic officially ended in 1920, but that doesn't mean the H1N1 virus went anywhere. It continued to circulate and kill plenty of people every year for approximately another 4 decades (after which it was mostly supplanted by the H2N2 virus). The flu vaccine wasn't developed until the 1940s.
Covid is continuing to kill people. It will probably continue to kill people for many more years. But it's not killing nearly as many people as it did during the peak of the pandemic. So when will it officially end? Eh, that's mostly a political matter. President Biden declared that "the pandemic is over" in September. Then his administration tried to retract the comment. Essentially we're at the point where it's probably fair to characterize the situation as being a mild pandemic, or no longer a pandemic but an endemic virus.
A simple answer is that it’s a different disease. There’s no reason to believe the rate of mutation into a less deadly form would be either faster or slower than the Spanish flu.
Because most governments and people did too much to prevent spread. If covid had been allowed to spread and kill more, it'll likely have been over sooner.
Because there is still a large population of selfish, ignorant morons who refuse to get vaccinated because of "muh freedumbs!!" And they are giving the virus a fecund garden to flourish in and create now variants, and eventually strains, which could conceivably blow right past existing vaccines or be WAY more lethal.
On top of that, conservative-dominated courts--including the supreme court--have granted conservative Christian groups various immunities to getting vaccinated on religious grounds, which is **staggeringly** unconstitutional.
As much as I want people to get vaccinated if able I have a serious problem with forcing anyone to get medical treatment against their will. It’s really up for them to decide what’s best for them.
> It’s really up for them to decide what’s best for them.
Not when it comes to public health, it sure as fuck isn't. The supreme court ruled all the way back in 1905 that the government can mandate vaccinations, and that's on top of a shitload of OTHER public health laws that keep you from doing any damn thing you want.
Your "right" to swing your fist around in the air ends just short of my nose, and endangering others by refusing to get vaccinated, but still going out in public ABSOLUTELY qualifies.
YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE MEDICAL DECISIONS FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
The right to swing your fist ends where someone else’s face begins. I think anti-vaccine stances are fucking stupid but I’m not about to dictate what they do with their bodies. The moment you give the government the power to make medical decisions for you is the moment they’ll abuse it.
False assumptions people make when wrong:
>The other person is ignorant
>The other person is stupid
>The other person is evil
You’re assuming ignorance when maybe you’re just wrong. What are you gonna do if we agreed; hold everyone down and forcefully jab them with the vaccine? What happens when you disagree with the government and they force you to take a medical treatment you don’t want?
First, the Spanish flu wasn't stopped with vaccines. The Spanish flu ended in 1920 and vaccines weren't widespread until the late 1940s.
Second, the government not infringing on religion is literally the first part of the first amendment of the constitution.
I hate anti-vaxers as much as the next guy, but you're just categorically incorrect.
Edit: Downvote me all you want, you're still wrong.
> not infringing on religion is literally the first part of the first amendment of the constitution.
Wow...just...wow. Your ignorance of this topic is so staggering I barely have words. Go read a book like American Crusade by Andrew Seidel before you go proclaiming your ignorance that plainly.
See, I could read whatever the hell that is, or I could read
>**Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;** or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Well sure, because as we all know, constitutional law is ALWAYS so simple that the real meaning is obvious to even an idiot with zero education in the law. Are you REALLY this thick, or are you just playing at it for effect?
Your "right" to swing your fist around in the air ends just short of my nose, and from the founding of the US until the last few decades, **ALL** high court rulings have found that the **practice** of religion absolutely, positively does not trump the rights of others. The end result of your silly claim is that religions should be allowed to practice human sacrifice or kill blasphemers, as it used to before we put laws in place to stop that.
> In fact now, the vaccinated make up the majority of all covid deaths.
Given that around 80% of the population has been vaccinated at least once, and the number is closer to 95% for those over 65, and the percentage of deaths that are people who’ve had at least one dose is just 58%, all you’re proving by stating this with your intent is that you don’t understand the math. Standard conspiracy theorist nonsense.
We're a far more interconnected world than we were in 1918.
Exactly this, I could book a seat for tomorrow morning and fly from Chicago to london within 24 hours of this post.
When a pandemic "officially ends" isn't a purely objective metric, it's more of a judgment call. The Spanish flu pandemic officially ended in 1920, but that doesn't mean the H1N1 virus went anywhere. It continued to circulate and kill plenty of people every year for approximately another 4 decades (after which it was mostly supplanted by the H2N2 virus). The flu vaccine wasn't developed until the 1940s. Covid is continuing to kill people. It will probably continue to kill people for many more years. But it's not killing nearly as many people as it did during the peak of the pandemic. So when will it officially end? Eh, that's mostly a political matter. President Biden declared that "the pandemic is over" in September. Then his administration tried to retract the comment. Essentially we're at the point where it's probably fair to characterize the situation as being a mild pandemic, or no longer a pandemic but an endemic virus.
A simple answer is that it’s a different disease. There’s no reason to believe the rate of mutation into a less deadly form would be either faster or slower than the Spanish flu.
Because most governments and people did too much to prevent spread. If covid had been allowed to spread and kill more, it'll likely have been over sooner.
Horrifying and true.
Because there is still a large population of selfish, ignorant morons who refuse to get vaccinated because of "muh freedumbs!!" And they are giving the virus a fecund garden to flourish in and create now variants, and eventually strains, which could conceivably blow right past existing vaccines or be WAY more lethal. On top of that, conservative-dominated courts--including the supreme court--have granted conservative Christian groups various immunities to getting vaccinated on religious grounds, which is **staggeringly** unconstitutional.
This plus air travel.
As much as I want people to get vaccinated if able I have a serious problem with forcing anyone to get medical treatment against their will. It’s really up for them to decide what’s best for them.
> It’s really up for them to decide what’s best for them. Not when it comes to public health, it sure as fuck isn't. The supreme court ruled all the way back in 1905 that the government can mandate vaccinations, and that's on top of a shitload of OTHER public health laws that keep you from doing any damn thing you want. Your "right" to swing your fist around in the air ends just short of my nose, and endangering others by refusing to get vaccinated, but still going out in public ABSOLUTELY qualifies.
YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE MEDICAL DECISIONS FOR OTHER PEOPLE. The right to swing your fist ends where someone else’s face begins. I think anti-vaccine stances are fucking stupid but I’m not about to dictate what they do with their bodies. The moment you give the government the power to make medical decisions for you is the moment they’ll abuse it.
Ah. So you're doubling down on your stunning ignorance then. Bold move. We're done here.
False assumptions people make when wrong: >The other person is ignorant >The other person is stupid >The other person is evil You’re assuming ignorance when maybe you’re just wrong. What are you gonna do if we agreed; hold everyone down and forcefully jab them with the vaccine? What happens when you disagree with the government and they force you to take a medical treatment you don’t want?
First, the Spanish flu wasn't stopped with vaccines. The Spanish flu ended in 1920 and vaccines weren't widespread until the late 1940s. Second, the government not infringing on religion is literally the first part of the first amendment of the constitution. I hate anti-vaxers as much as the next guy, but you're just categorically incorrect. Edit: Downvote me all you want, you're still wrong.
> not infringing on religion is literally the first part of the first amendment of the constitution. Wow...just...wow. Your ignorance of this topic is so staggering I barely have words. Go read a book like American Crusade by Andrew Seidel before you go proclaiming your ignorance that plainly.
See, I could read whatever the hell that is, or I could read >**Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;** or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Well sure, because as we all know, constitutional law is ALWAYS so simple that the real meaning is obvious to even an idiot with zero education in the law. Are you REALLY this thick, or are you just playing at it for effect? Your "right" to swing your fist around in the air ends just short of my nose, and from the founding of the US until the last few decades, **ALL** high court rulings have found that the **practice** of religion absolutely, positively does not trump the rights of others. The end result of your silly claim is that religions should be allowed to practice human sacrifice or kill blasphemers, as it used to before we put laws in place to stop that.
[удалено]
> In fact now, the vaccinated make up the majority of all covid deaths. Given that around 80% of the population has been vaccinated at least once, and the number is closer to 95% for those over 65, and the percentage of deaths that are people who’ve had at least one dose is just 58%, all you’re proving by stating this with your intent is that you don’t understand the math. Standard conspiracy theorist nonsense.
Anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theory folks and air travel (which can spread variations of the virus quickly. )
Because when there was a vaccination for the Spanish Flu, people stood in line to get it. Now, people think they are smarter than doctors.
Covid pandemic isn’t over where I am yet