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But at a population level, widespread vaccination and immunity from prior infections will help downgrade the virus into something that mostly causes mild disease, freeing us from factoring COVID-19 into every decision. That doesn’t mean it will be harmless inevitably, some people will get seriously ill, develop long-term symptoms or die, as they do with influenza. Most experts agree that we’ll eventually live with COVID-19, as we do the flu and common cold. How do you behave when life is creeping toward normal, but more than 1,000 Americans, and even more people worldwide, still die from this virus every day? The new normal? Now that vaccines and boosters are available to most people in the U.S., plenty are stuck in similar dilemmas. And I’d still rather not get sick or infect my loved ones if I can help it.
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But I also care about curbing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting those more vulnerable than I am, particularly with Omicron on the scene and other variants likely to follow it. As a young, healthy, vaccinated and boosted adult, I’m at low personal risk and eager to embrace life circa 2019.
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I would never wish for a return to 2020, but “stay outside or stay home” were, at least, clear marching orders. In many ways, decision making is even more complicated now than it was last year.