COVID Moment of Truth

Tomorrow, the World Health Organization is to meet to discuss where to end the emergency phase of COVID.  That is, whether they're ready to declare the pandemic over.

If you expect an announcement that the pandemic is ending, don't hold your breath.  On second thought, do hold your breath - it's a good way to avoid getting COVID.

The fact is that since China ended its zero-COVID policy, COVID cases have shot up there like a rocket.  It's spreading so rapidly that it is likely to fall just as quickly, but it's still possibly going to cause a new strain in its wake - a strain serious enough to warrant its own Greek letter.  This hypothetical new strain could keep the pandemic going for another three years.

Some pandits (my term for "pandemic pundits") are critical of efforts of other national governments to test Chinese nationals entering their countries because there's already a lot of COVID outside China that could cause a new strain.  Yes, but there's also a good deal of immunity in the rest of the world because the rest of the world didn't shoot for zero-COVID like China did.  If another strain is going to come from anywhere, it;s where COVID began.

Of course, add American idiots who won't get vaccinated, and you have yourself plenty of reasons why we should expect the emergency to continue . . . and zero reasons why we should not.