It's well past time we start a conversation about living with covid.

Until now, the dominant conversation is phrased in terms of "beating covid", "eliminating covid", or "stopping covid". This has been a mistake all along, and certainly since the point when the virus left the borders of China. This bug is now well established in the human population, and there is no evidence at all that we are going to change that simple reality.

In the dictionary, endemic is defined as:

"characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment"

Used in the medical sense, this means that endemic covid is now a part of the human biological environment. It exists along with the infinite number of other species who surround us and with whom we share our world. We have lived for more than a century in just such a relationship with influenza. We do what we can to limit the harm, but there is no talk of "stopping" influenza; rather we talk about managing it.

We need to develop the same understanding of covid. Delaying this acceptance and understanding is leading us to incorrect management strategies. I repeat, we are not going to eliminate covid. Even a vaccine (the Hail Mary of the control freaks) is likely to provide partial immunity, just like with the seasonal flu. Hardly the miracle that the population is being led to believe.

Are we ready to live with this bug? Ready or not, that is what will happen. We need to adjust to this truth, the sooner the better.