COVID 19: It could possibly be classified as an endemic disease

Rethinking COVID -19

When the Coronavirus first hit early in 2020 the attitude around the world seemed to be "This too shall pass." Now it seems that some European nations are considering a new strategy and considering adopting the approach of Accepting the things we cannot change. The World Health Organization (WHO) however, is not ready to consider COVID-19 as an endemic disease.

Illnesses that are always present in a particular region or population such as HIV, the flu, syphilis, and malaria, are considered to be endemic. The amount of endemic disease each year is considered to be a “baseline” that reveals what is to be expected to "persist indefinitely." There are a number of experts predicting that COVID-19 will indeed eventually become an endemic disease. but WHO will no doubt have the final say so.

Our new normal may become a lasting reality

No one want to consider that wearing masks and social distancing will remain with us indefinately but this is a possibility. Not long after COVID first hit, then New York Governor Chris Cumo shouted into a microphone that God was not going to cure the pandemic but medical science would and he was wrong. For every step that has been taken to irradicate this disease, new variants (Deta and Omicron) continue to develop and scientists are left scratching their heads.

So many people are saying they cannot wait for COVID-19 to be over and done and everything get back to normal but for almost three years now the coronavirus has been our normal. Masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and social distancing have become a way of life and for many their mantra is "Don't leave home without them."

COVID continues to claim victims

No one wants to consider that COVID will remain with us because of the devasation that it has wraught and the deaths that it has caused. Just recently I read of a local couple who died one day apart because of the coronavirus and a sister and brother who died 3 days apart from the dreaded illness. I did not expect this to be happening 3 years into the pandemic but here we are.

Increasing numbers of scientists are agreeing that the coronavirus is ot going anywhere and yet even with all the deaths there are people who still do not believe it's real which brings up another issue. Not everyone is going to act in the best interest of others. I was recently in a grocery store where an unmasked man coughed into his hand and then reached for an item on the shelf and I was disgusted but what could I do?

COVID vaccination cards

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) guidelines say that those who have been vaccinated don't have to wear mask but unless you show your card many people will not be on the honor system. I know unvaccinated people who do nto wear masks and there are those like myself who have had both shots and the booster who still do.

Those who have not had the vaccine and boosters are walking around without masks because no one asks them to prove they have been innoculated. Many indivuduaks who are fully vaccinated continue to mask-up as a safety precaution.Businesses do not have the manpower to check cards at the door and turn away those who have not had their shots and are not wearing masks.

Accepting COVID as endemic

There is no way to fully police everyone so the unvacinated will continue to roam unmaksed and those who have been innoculated will continue to take necessary precautions. The result will continue to be mutations and new strains of COVID. This is why WHO and the CDC need to consider carefully adopting the approach that theh coronavirus will always be with us in one form or another just like the flu, Malaria, HIV, syphillis and other endemic diseases. There is an old saying "If you can't lick em, join em." .

I am not suggesting giving up and allowing more people to become invected and or die but to consider this point COVID has not been defeated. Maybe the European nations have the best strategy of accepting that this disease hyas not been beat and still is among us. Perhaps it is time to classify COVID as endemic as preventative measures and research for possible cures continues.