4 ms·

Due to COVID not mutating as quickly, I think the end game is everyone getting immune, through a combination of repeated vaccinations and infections.

chitowneats 5y ago
What evidence do we have that covid "doesn't mutate as quickly"? There have been at least 3 distinct variants, separate from the original strain, since the virus was detected in late 2019 / early 2020.
- bparsons 5y ago
  Relative to perhaps, the seasonal flu.
- bonzini 5y ago
  These variants have their most severe symptoms blocked by the same vaccine with very similar effectiveness. Influenza viruses, on the other hand, undergo recombination in such a way that the vaccine has to be engineered every year based on guesses of what the prevalent strain is going to be.
avereveard 5y ago
immunization doesn't seem to last long enough for this plan, it will just increase the mutation pressure.
ldjkfkdsjnv 5y ago
I got covid last march, and got it again one month ago. I was very sick for three weeks on my second covid infection. I think we are about to face the harsh reality that covid is never going away, and immunity and is never going to happen. The virus will mutate and find new ways to infect
- schmichael 5y ago
  > I think we are about to face... I feel like this is what most experts were saying from near the beginning: this is not a few months problem. This is an ongoing problem that will require us to adapt just as it adapts. I remember many articles in 2020 projecting what the virus might look like 5 or 8 years out. Lockdowns and other extreme measures were about flattening infection curves to keep from overwhelming health systems, not about eradicating the virus outright. Masks and distancing are about getting the virus to a manageable infection rate to minimize impact on our new normal lives. Vaccines are the only way out without high mortality and extreme pressure on our health systems. Whether it requires vaccines like polio (one or two and safe forever) or flu (annual) is yet to be determined AFAIK. It seems like somewhere in the middle is most likely at least for many years to come.
  - ldjkfkdsjnv 5y ago
    I just dont see how getting a shot every year or six months for eternity is a viable solution. Not only that, vaccinated individuals can encourage new mutations (this is controversial, but I believe over time it will be realized)
    - kaoD 5y ago
      > I just dont see how getting a shot every year or six months for eternity is a viable solution What do you mean? We have yearly flu vaccinations.
      - paganel 5y ago
        > We have yearly flu vaccinations. Where I live (Eastern Europe) those are taken by a minority of the population.
        ImprovedSilence 5y ago
        That doesn't mean that's how it should be...
      - TurkishPoptart 5y ago
- grepfru_it 5y ago
  What is your definition of very sick? I too had a similar series of events and my second infection was both worse and better than the first. My first bout was longer but consisted of just a mild cough with a tolerable shortness of breath but 9 months of long haul hell. My second was rife with congestion, headaches, and muscle pains but it came and went in the span of a week, no long covid this time around (so far).
munk-a 5y ago
I am becoming more skeptical of that outcome unless we can kill it dead globally. It seems probable to me that this is going to go on in perpetuity like a much more deadly seasonal flu.

chitowneats 5y ago

What evidence do we have that covid "doesn't mutate as quickly"? There have been at least 3 distinct variants, separate from the original strain, since the virus was detected in late 2019 / early 2020.

bparsons 5y ago
Relative to perhaps, the seasonal flu.
bonzini 5y ago
These variants have their most severe symptoms blocked by the same vaccine with very similar effectiveness. Influenza viruses, on the other hand, undergo recombination in such a way that the vaccine has to be engineered every year based on guesses of what the prevalent strain is going to be.

avereveard 5y ago

immunization doesn't seem to last long enough for this plan, it will just increase the mutation pressure.

ldjkfkdsjnv 5y ago

I got covid last march, and got it again one month ago. I was very sick for three weeks on my second covid infection. I think we are about to face the harsh reality that covid is never going away, and immunity and is never going to happen. The virus will mutate and find new ways to infect

schmichael 5y ago
> I think we are about to face... I feel like this is what most experts were saying from near the beginning: this is not a few months problem. This is an ongoing problem that will require us to adapt just as it adapts. I remember many articles in 2020 projecting what the virus might look like 5 or 8 years out. Lockdowns and other extreme measures were about flattening infection curves to keep from overwhelming health systems, not about eradicating the virus outright. Masks and distancing are about getting the virus to a manageable infection rate to minimize impact on our new normal lives. Vaccines are the only way out without high mortality and extreme pressure on our health systems. Whether it requires vaccines like polio (one or two and safe forever) or flu (annual) is yet to be determined AFAIK. It seems like somewhere in the middle is most likely at least for many years to come.
- ldjkfkdsjnv 5y ago
  I just dont see how getting a shot every year or six months for eternity is a viable solution. Not only that, vaccinated individuals can encourage new mutations (this is controversial, but I believe over time it will be realized)
  - kaoD 5y ago
    > I just dont see how getting a shot every year or six months for eternity is a viable solution What do you mean? We have yearly flu vaccinations.
    - paganel 5y ago
      > We have yearly flu vaccinations. Where I live (Eastern Europe) those are taken by a minority of the population.
      - ImprovedSilence 5y ago
        That doesn't mean that's how it should be...
    - TurkishPoptart 5y ago
grepfru_it 5y ago
What is your definition of very sick? I too had a similar series of events and my second infection was both worse and better than the first. My first bout was longer but consisted of just a mild cough with a tolerable shortness of breath but 9 months of long haul hell. My second was rife with congestion, headaches, and muscle pains but it came and went in the span of a week, no long covid this time around (so far).

munk-a 5y ago

I am becoming more skeptical of that outcome unless we can kill it dead globally. It seems probable to me that this is going to go on in perpetuity like a much more deadly seasonal flu.