So the federal increase in SNAP benefits has ended this month. Most states have ceased their proclamations of… emergency, or whatever each state calls them. We are effectively pretending that we are no longer in a pandemic when we clearly continue to meet the criteria for continuing to be in a pandemic, and it’s all because the pandemic has inconvenienced enough people in positions of power that now all of those who are high-risk get to face the increased dangers of it hoping that they don’t get COVID-19 themselves (or again, or again and again). I think we’re somewhere in the 30,000s of infections confirmed at doctor’s offices every fourteen days in this state, but… no. Nothing to see here. Move along, folks. We’ve decided that the pandemic is Over because we are tired of having to change how we live to make sure higher-risk people don’t unnecessarily get infected — or worse — with it. And according to the metrics that the state of Texas does keep, we’re beginning to trend upward in cases again, so this is hardly endemic at this point. But still.

If we ever actually thoroughly get over this thing and enter true endemic status, it won’t be because of humanity, but it will be in spite of humanity. I’m a pessimist here though. I’ve had COVID-19 once (and hope never to have it again), and I’ve seen how people in my home state treat COVID (“like the flu, no big deal”).