The virus is here to stay, Dr. Steven Nemerson, chief clinical officer at Saint Alphonsus Health System of Boise, told reporters on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 (read story here). “Today I’m here to tell you we’ve lost the war.”
“The reason it is here to stay,” he added, “is because we cannot vaccinate enough of the public to fully eradicate the disease.”
Idaho has one of America’s lowest vaccination rates, with just over half of its eligible population (age 12 and older) vaccinated. The state is a hotbed of vaccine and mask resistance.
It’s paying the price. Idaho’s hospitals have been overwhelmed, and had to send some patients to other states, including Washington (read story here).
And last week, Idaho’s Trumpster Lt. Governor, a nutty hardcore anti-masker (photo below), tried to stage her own homegrown coup.
Maybe we need a high border wall between Washington and Idaho that germs can’t fly over.
Makes one wonder how the 1918 flu was eradicated or any of the various plagues of history. Covid maybe endemic like the common cold. Or it will just fade away at some point like the 1918 flu that may have infected up to 500,000,000 people killing up to 50,000,000. Endemics and pandemics have a lifespan and this pandemic will end, and there will be a break and it is then possible a new variant will do the twist and a new epidemic and pandemic will begin. [Edited comment.]
The virus that caused the 1918 pandemic wasn’t eradicated, it’s still around and causing epidemics (details here), but is more containable now thanks to vaccines and people getting their flu shots. No vaccination, no protection. That’s why local epidemics from this virus mostly happen in third-world countries now.