And people that know it's real don't think it is a problem anymore. My roommate's partner was over for three days with a cough that "don't worry it's not COVID" then tested positive. I'm so tired of this, so many people buying into the idea it is over. My office tried to force RTO and at least part of why it didn't stick was because a bunch of people immediately started catching COVID. I didn't catch so much as a minor cold for over two years it was amazing. I don't get why people prefer getting sick all the time over the two seconds it takes to throw on a mask before going out or cancelling the occasional get together if someone has symptoms

On one hand we'd have the vaccine even faster, on the other the political and material reasons that made the handling of it terrible in many different places hasn't actually changed.