The next stage of the pandemic won’t directly really be about the pandemic at all: it’ll be an extended pitched battle between the terrified lockdown lifers and those who want to reclaim some measure of freedom as cases fall through the floor due to seasonality and vaccination.

The lockdown lifers will take the position that we must never relax restrictions because of variants, or even because of a new potential pandemic. The more normal people will assert, correctly, that there is always risk to any activity and it’s not feasible to stay inside forever.

Prepare for much scolding from the lockdown lifers. We’ll have to learn how to ignore these people. Mental illness of this type only escalates if it’s rewarded.