There seems to be at least 2 big variants a year. Covid is never going to go away, like the flu. New variants in the flu emerge often and as a result, the newest flu vaccines are updated with that variant in mind. There's always going to be something worse to worry about; shutting down businesses, states and whole countries for indeterminate and long amounts of time will do almost nothing in the long run, as new variants will change the game consistently after the fact. Get vaccinated, obviously. Heed science. But also be practical. No one is getting what could become 10+ years of shutdowns back. Life is short. Social and mental health are key, both of which shutdowns have suppressed. Marriages have stalled.

Half of Redditors say "people should just be more flexible, people are too into their fixed schedules, dumb Americans harr harr". Well I was going to study in Rome this spring, and that will probably be cancelled. People plan big endeavors in their lives in a certain way because, well, these things enrich their lives. Would you want every big thing in your life to be shoved around and told you don't matter, fuck your passions...? Let's all live unfulfilling and depressing lives, nothing matters, no plans, just live to be surprised with depressing bs. For 2 years this was fair, and might be fair a while longer, but we will have to have a hard and fast long-term understanding soon. I could get cancer and die. Maybe I want to study abroad in the program I whipped my ass into finishing the requirements of. Alongside the classes I was still taking simultaneously. Maybe I'd like to see Rome as a history buff, before some other bs in life robs that opportunity from me. Maybe I want to date.

I'm not a Trump fanatic and am glad Biden is presiding in this turbulent time. There has been value in shutdowns and requiring masks. I respect business' Covid rules, etc. I'm only saying that at some point, it won't be feasible to halt industries and ordinary life activities for each major variant. It will be a matter of getting the latest vaccines and making the most of life despite Covid. Is that unreasonable?