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Comment by fecak | Hacker News Reader

When Covid goes away, we can assume masking, distancing, and staying home will also go away. In that case, all communicable diseases are likely to increase, from the common cold to STDs.

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This is why a tiny fringe of epidemologists has been calling for social distancing to continue for the next several years at least, even after COVID, because they see this as a chance to wipe out other common illnesses. If a person hyperspecializes in a field like epidemology, there is the risk of the person expecting all government policy to revolve around their specific concerns. Sometimes in interviews those epidemologists simply seem oblivious to the effect this will have on live music, theatre, cafes and restaurants, etc., other times they say that we simply cannot allow ourselves those things any more, because saving lives is more important.

So two weeks will turn into 5 years, and then still the viruses will come back because people are having backyard parties.

No chance. I see enough people breaking social distancing rules to ensure that goal is a pipe dream.

I would like to believe that. It seems like the logical thing given the provided rationales. However, the cynical view is also worth examining.

When has government willingly relinquished emergency powers?

And thus the flu hasn't disappeared.

Ah, you're reading the word "forever" at the end of that sentence, which notably does not actually include the word.

Influenza will likely never be eradicated from the earth completely, but in the most recent flu season worldwide, it was essentially missing.

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