[comeondude]

This doesn’t focus on the present reality.

If the pandemic becomes endemic then it’s definitely worthwhile to have that dialogue.

However our house is on fire right now in front of us.

I feel like it’s important to be curious about working together to find a solution together RIGHT NOW - instead of worrying about far off scenarios.

[marton78]

I don't think that's the case. It's about time to say goodbye to the illusion that we're ever going to extinguish this fire. It's seems to me the COVID is about to be become endemic, this is the new normal. It's not a far off scenario any more, so it does make sense to have this discussion, right now.

[comeondude]

Been mulling over what I really wanted to say … This is the par for the course on hacker news to have this kind intellectual conversations, exploring potential spaces.

However, what I was trying to convey is … it’s about being friends to each other right now, as in one big human family. And doing the right thing - which means coming together to have a conversation about how to extinguish this fire. I mean, we eliminated small pox. What happened to that human spirit of cooperation?

And to me, talking about what-ifs at this level doesn’t really address the underlying issue which is … people don’t want to figure out how to help each other - this is what we need right now otherwise it’s just another layer of drama that distracts us from what’s in front of us.

Edit : we already have a solution, which is basically - vax and mask up - we literally have people dying by the hundreds if not the thousands daily - but it’s always the government that’s the problem - and thinking about mask mandates 10 years down the road is like if “sir, our neighborhoos is on fire … can you please grab that bucket and help out” was met with “but What if it goes on for another week? Should we all be beholden to keep on filling and carrying the buckets? My house over there is fine why should I worry about that? I don’t really need to help out right now? I’m just worried that i will be forced to lug buckets forever”

[SideburnsOfDoom]

> It's about time to say goodbye to the illusion that we're ever going to extinguish this fire.

That's a mischaracterisation of the above. Endemic at low levels is not the same as raging pandemic. Yes, the raging fire does actually have to be damped down to low levels before we can adjust and implement next steps after that.

But measures that are necessary during a pandemic are not the same as those necessary when a disease is endemic.