You may ask yourself if SARS-CoV-2 will ever go away. Whatever our immunization status, the likely reality is that it will transition from pandemic to endemic within the next twelve months.
So, what does life with a fifth endemic coronavirus look like? Coz we’re all on Team Delta now, like it or not.
In Australia, the Labor (progressive) states haven’t publicly abandoned the dream of zero-COVID. The Liberal (conservative) state dropped the charade weeks ago. In NSW we’re being prepped to “live with COVID” and, because of that, so must every state.
Since 1788, it’s always been thus: New South Wales does what it likes, and the other states adapt. Our roadmap to recovery is about economic recovery in NSW. The premier has given up on prevention in the (conservative) belief that getting back to work, back to school, back to church, and back to the footy will be the cure.
Less panacea than placebo, I predict.
When SARS-CoV-2 squares the existing pressure on the health system already caused by seasonal influenza, the political sleight-of-hand will turn to persuading the public that everything is okay.
It’s NOT a public health emergency!
It’s just the ‘flu, squared.
We have health care professionals loudly, almost desperately calling for a re-think of the looming (conservative) end of lock-down. They know what’s about to happen. That’s why the Premier has stopped giving daily press conferences.
Whay ask her questions when she has no answers.
Now I’m as keen to have a day off work as the next guy. Ask my wife! Luckily, living with COVID means extra time off is almost inevitable. The impact on productivity alone will cost the states billions. US surveys of influenza report 3-6 days lost of work are lost for every diagnosed case.
Double-plus days off for COVID?
Was that little speedhump factored into the roadmap to recovery, Gladys? Because we’re the lucky country, remember.
Mitigation is a sexy word, and we can all do some: Vaccination mandates are already being imposed. No jab = no job. Telework is here to stay, which is good, but that foists WH&S compliance into the home office. Masks will remain for good. Rules and regulations will erode your privacy — we must all carry our papers! We will be subject to passive tracking like no generation in human history.
But it’s just the flu, squared. All part of the (conservative) roadmap to recovery.
And that’s our Gladys, showing her pure political mongrel. No time to think about what to tell them, and no time to think about what she’s done: Days go by, and everything’s the same as it ever was.