[MyPasswordSucks]

> after covid is an illusion, there is no such thing as "after" for an ongoing pandemic....

The US death rate from Covid in Q4 2023 (so, pre-Trump II) is roughly the same as the US death rate from influenza. 14.9 or 16.8 deaths per 100,000 for Covid (first number is 12 months ending with Q4 2023, second number is the three month rolling window), 13.5 or 15.1 deaths per 100,000 for influenza.

"After covid" is a perfectly fine description of the current state of affairs.

[daxelrod]

I don’t understand how that conclusion follows from that comparison. We also wouldn’t describe the current day as “after the flu”. Both are endemic.

[MyPasswordSucks]

The phrase you picked to describe them is "endemic", rather than "ongoing pandemics". There's a reason for that.

[zanfr]

by that token; you can argue HIV is endemic and nothing should be done about it... people will understand wearing condoms but apparently can't understand masking... hmm... neither are very difficult to do, I'd argue that wearing a condom is more tricky in some aspects.

the reason is simple: wearing a mask reminds people there is a risk and it doesn't "look good", despite its many advantages for many pathogens and pollutants; also acknowledging indoor air quality is crap is hard for businesses (and governments) to do since they would need to invest into better ventilation and filtration systems.

[zanfr]

you are accounting for immediate deaths; you have to keep in mind that covid causes immune dysfunction, heart disease etc; 10% of people are still not recovered after 4 years...

long term effects are rare in the (proper, confirmed flu, not your cold you think is the flu) flu