“We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. But the pandemic is over,” claimed Biden in a “60 Minute” interview on September 18.
COVID-19 is a virus that entered the United States in January 2020 from Wuhan, China. The virus, which started spreading rapidly in the beginning, resulted in high rates of unemployment and a transition to online learning for students. The symptoms include headaches, high fevers, coughing, loss of taste, and leg pain. There are an estimated 1,500 new cases of COVID every day and an average of 15 deaths every day in Los Angeles County. COVID still continues to be the cause of deaths, loss of jobs, economic struggles, and decline in mental and physical health. So, is it really over?
For a disease to be considered “over,” no one should be affected, no one should be feeling unsafe, and no one should be feeling symptoms. People still wear masks in public spaces, indicating that the virus is not yet over. As of September 26, there have been 3,162 cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles, while the 7-day average is 1,328 cases. There are currently 3.9 million people who reside in Los Angeles. There are still a lot of cases, even if it’s not even a quarter of the population. Some people who do get COVID are asymptomatic, meaning that they show no sign of symptoms, which makes it more dangerous for other people.
Biden is, in effect, giving us a false sense of hope over this issue, which may have harmful repercussions in the future. His statement that the pandemic is “over” will likely encourage more people to engage in public activities without wearing masks and taking necessary COVID precautions, which can result in higher infection rates in the days to come. Ultimately, this virus is not over. Many people are still fighting against this virus each and every day. People in the medical field are still treating patients with this virus each and every day. Until no one is affected further on, then this is over.