As opposed to indefinite periodic lockdowns, the period of severe damage of non-zero COVID is finite. Population-wide immunity increases with every wave, until

As opposed to indefinite periodic lockdowns, the period of severe damage of non-zero COVID is finite. Population-wide immunity increases with every wave, until there is some steady state like seen with influenza, where the threat is limited to the small virality edge that new variants provide before the population develops immunity to them. It is very likely, given the history of other coronavirus, that eventually the damage from COVID-19 will be comparable to other cold viruses (four of the major cold viruses are coronaviruses, and some evidence suggests they started as extremely deadly, and through mutation and/or growing-immunity, became milder). Novel viruses are exceptionally dangerous, so the severity of COVID-19 infections is not an unusual situation. Influenza, when novel, caused the immensely deadly Spanish flu. We also know how viruses evolve, and how populations adapt to them, and based on that knowledge, we can safely assume that COVID-19 will not remain exceptionally dangerous once it becomes endemic.