Is there a Covid crisis anymore?

It has been a while since I have commented on the Covid-19 issue.  It is still a mainstay in the mainstream media – and almost as fearsome as ever in the leftwing press.  That is because certain portions of the politico-medical community are keeping pandemic panic alive.

Throughout the two-plus-year pandemic, there has been confusion – too much confusion.  Much of it is driven by politics-over-science – too much politics-over-science.  But as the pandemic (if it can even be called that anymore) wanes, the confusion reigns.

Those who have followed my commentaries for the past couple years, know that I have never been an alarmist.  I have often used the scientific and statistical data to put things into perspective.  That means I used reasonable mitigating measures – mostly in obedience to imposed regulations out of concern for my well-being.  I masked when required to do so.  And did not, when not.  Never outside.  Same with social distancing.  I continued to shake hands, hug and kiss (although not many opportunities for the latter at my age.)

Once I was vaccinated, I declared the pandemic over – for me.  I still must mask where required, but I honestly think it is overdone.  I was surprised and pleased that a senior residency where I visit a 91-year-old friend has ended indoor masking.  My local Publix grocery store has done away with all signs of the pandemic.  No more one-way aisles – which were ended more than a year ago.  No more masks – which ended within the past year.  But the final concessions to Covid are now gone.  No more spacing markers on the floor.  No more plastic shields between cashiers and customers.  

You may have also noticed that the daily hospitalization and death counts have disappeared from the television screens.  Even the once ubiquitous Dr. Anthony Fauci has exited from the public stage – for the most part.  I guess that there is no longer enough bad news to report.  Fearmongering is much more difficult in the face of the new reality.

But that does not mean it is over.  Even as the Covid ceases to be a pandemic – and maybe not even an epidemic – the fearmongers are still at it.  It may be – as some suggest – that we should think of the Covid family of viruses as a perennial disease – much like the common flu, which is sometimes mild and sometimes more serious.  We just need to learn to live with it – and not from some medical bunkers that the fearmongers would keep us.

Here is the hard information the national media no longer finds sufficiently important to report.  Currently (as of April 12), three-tenths of one percent of the American population has Covid – mostly the newest and most mild variant.  The daily death tool has dropped to under 500 – 330 on April 12, to be precise.

So, why do we have masking on public transportation?  And it was actually extended recently by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).  Why are some communities going back to pandemic-level regulations?  Why are our school kids being tormented with mask-wearing … terrorized by fear of the virus … and damaged educationally and psychologically by harsh regulatory measures?  Why are we being told that we need the booster (which I got) and a second booster (which I did not get) — and maybe boosters ad infinitum.  We can understand Pfizer’s promotion of endless vaccinations – but that should not be the primary driver of policy.

Supposedly more than 70 percent of the American public is vaccinated.  Many more have natural immunity from having had Covid.  That should give us something close to herd immunity.  At least that is what we were told.

We have entered an era of Covid hypocrisy – with no better example than the one coming from the White House.  No adherence to indoor masking and social distancing.  Then there was the smack heard around the world, (No, I do not mean Will Smith slapping Chris Rock). There was that kiss between President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – who later tested positive.  They know that Covid is not the dreaded grim reaper that it was a year or so ago.  But they still want us, we the people, to be oppressed by the disease – or at least our governments imposition of increasingly irrelevant regulations.

Perhaps the scariest example of government over-reach is proposals in California that would require all children to be fully vaccinated.  Personally, if I had children in the under 10 age group, I would not have them vaccinated – and no one loves kids more than me.

A lot of people scare easily.  You see them donning masks that are ineffective in places where they are unnecessary.  But I am okay with that.  As I have said previously, if a person wants to don rain gear on a bright sunny day, that is their right.  Just do not force me.

We may never live in a Covid-free world, but we do not have to act like it is the scourge that it once was.

So, there ‘tis.