[tehjoker]

all true, but at least there will be one fewer setting students are forcibly exposed to COVID-19 in

[DiggyJohnson]

"Forcibly exposed"? Do you feel that way about anything that gathers people, especially young people, together?

[orochimaaru]

I have news for you. That ship has sailed and all kids have had multiple infections of the virus.

[iraqmtpizza]

You were forcibly exposed to things other than your favorite brand of organic soda too

[pc86]

It's 2024, the pandemic has been over for a number of years now.

[UncleSlacky]

The "emergency phase" was declared over, however we're still in a pandemic. Most people want to pretend it's over, but nobody has told the virus.

[pc86]

COVID is endemic. Endemic and pandemic are mutually exclusive things.

[Dylan16807]

Physically, one is a subset of the other. It's only "mutually exclusive" from a specific (misleading) angle.

[pc86]

What angle? I'm talking about the definitions of the words.

Pandemic: occurring over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affecting a significant proportion of the population; characterized by very widespread growth or extent

Endemic: characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment; a disease or outbreak of disease that is typically present in a particular region or population : an endemic disease

COVID doesn't even really qualify as endemic based on the dictionary definition, but it's certainly not a pandemic.

[Dylan16807]

Wide geographic area, yes. Significant proportion of the population, yes. Very widespread growth or extent, yes (specifically the extent option).

How does it not fit the dictionary definition of pandemic?

[ribosometronome]

Because the disease became endemic, yes.