The worst part of the US and UK just deciding to utterly give up on doing anything about the ongoing pandemic is how this will affect future pandemics. Because this won't be the last. We've been on high alert for a bird flu pulling a 1918 for at least 15 years.

No significant change in mask wearing culture, no attempt to take a short effective lockdown seriously, no admission of culpability on getting it all wrong so that changes can be made for the next time that *will* come at some point... just absolute bedshitting.

It could be this winter, it could be 20 years from now, but all this half-hearted response, which itself came after an unacceptable delay, followed by just throwing hands up and going "eh, what can you do?" is going to make the next pandemic there so much worse if anything.

But still, pubs open again in a few days, drink a toast to your soon to be dead grandma and be damned eh?

Meanwhile we're 5 months into continued mask use and we're enjoying days at the beach without fear because of it. (I mean sure, we have OTHER worries, but not the corona.)

You don't even get to blame China for this. They put a pint of piss in front of you, and yeah you should be rightly angry for that first sip you weren't ready for. The fact you continued to knowingly chug the entire glass is very much on you.

Yes, I know certainly mask use has increased significantly in some sections of US/UK society (shout out to the protestors who are at HK levels of mask use), but you have to contrast that with the virulent (pun intended) anti-mask movement that is actively undermining it.