comment: >
  
  I was living in Texas in 2020 and people there declared the pandemic was over less than 2 months after lockdown. Most people stopped wearing masks and social distancing. A few weeks later there was a huge surge in cases and deaths in the city I lived in. So I guess those morons were really forward thinking.
  Stupid is as stupid dies.
context: Of all the stock photos of people wearing masks they could choose from, they pick the one with a guy wearing a Porn Hub hat. >
  
  Now let’s ask why the fuck he’s wearing a pornhub hat lol. When I leave the house I might put on a Duluth Trading Company hat, that’s a brand I like. Or a University of Wisconsin hat, a school I support. But this guy loves jerking off so much that he wears clothing repping his favorite porn site. You’ve got no choice but to respect that honestly. >
  
  Or maybe it is just a spinoff parody hat. Like he is a farmer and it says "CornBub". >
  
  Corn does have the juice. >
  
  Don’t forget the knobs! >
  
  will people get dropped from medicaid because of this? >
  
  Yes. The good news is that all 50 state governments care greatly about optimizing healthcare coverage and have robustly funded and staffed their state Medicaid agencies to the point where renewals or transition to subsidized Marketplace plans will occur seamlessly and without critical delays. >
  
  Thanks, its good to know that our government can get things done efficiently. >
  
  And to think, all it took was filling it with people who hate it, believe it can't get things done and who work to destroy it. >
  
  By that, student debt cancellation won’t be a thing. >
  
  Isn't the loan repayment pause dependent on the covid emergency declaration as well? >
  
  Yes. So are the guaranteed sick days, vaccines, medications, hospital stays etc. This will only affect people who are poor and sick. It's not about masks which everyone is pretending. It's about the financial help for the poor and disabled that is being taken away and that's what people are celebrating today. >
  
  Also insurance is more inclined to stamp APPROVED on a lot of the things that are used in bad bouts of COVID.  Mostly because the Government has been helping cover some of those costs.
  Now that this is going away, I can assure anyone who gets a bad bout of COVID, your insurance is going to be breaking out the DENIED stamp a lot more often.
  Some of the worse bouts of COVID are six or seven figures.  Maybe knock one or two of those digits off with insurance helped by the Government.  With this ending, a lot of people are going to be on the hook for that bill now.
  Maybe this is what it takes for people to start treating this pandemic seriously? Million dollar medical bills that will haunt them the rest of their lives.  I mean, we're still shedding about 200+ some people a day to COVID.  That's ~73k a year.  That's twice as many people who die in car wrecks annually and about 20% the rate of people who die from heart disease.  That puts it in a firm third place for cause of death in the US. >
  
  500+ people a day in the US right now >
  
  This has real early war on terror "mission accomplished" vibes to it. >
  
  Since literally before the disaster even began in earnest in America, that's been the message. No wonder we're at 1.1 million deaths and tens of millions with permanent disabilities. >
  
  psst: we're also the most obese nation by far, which is a super big risk factor for severe Covid. >
  
  I can't read the article but being a caregiver for 2 high risk people, my life won't change. I didn't know there were still protocols in place. >
  
  Yeah I have family members who have had organ transplants. Zero immune system, produce zero antibodies when vaccinated multiple times. Evushield was pulled because it's not effective. And people don't get it, they act like we're freaks wearing masks still. I have been harassed in public, I was 9 mo pregnant and a man kept banging on my car screaming at me to take off my mask. So I am worried that the state of emergency being changed will just make things worse in terms of respecting people still needing to be careful. I just wish the government cared a little more about the immune compromised, or even just pretended to care. >
  
  
  I just wish the government cared a little more about the immune compromised, or even just pretended to care.
  
  They don't, we have objective evidence they do not now. Anyone in this situation, or caring for someone in this situation is on their own.   
  Western Society has really revealed itself to be an uncaring and selfish construct of humanity through this. >
  
  Yeah it's really sad, it bothers me how anyone vulnerable is just thrown to the side like they don't matter. It's always been this way here. Look how a lot of nursing homes function. >
  
  
  It's always been this way here.
  
  This is the personal revelation I have gone through with this. It's not something new, I just didn't understand where we were at, and now that I do, I can't unsee it.   
  It kind of reminds me of Logans run, how everyone was killed off young and didn't really get a chance to understand the reality of their situation. The young and healthy are rarely if ever going to interface with the systems we have in place that are like this, except in extraordinary situations like this one. >
  
  No I'm in a similar boat. I never realized it until very recently, and it's hard to come to terms with. I hope for change but with the current mentality of parents are evil and everyone over 50 is a crazy Trumper, and then no one caring about babies getting sick or people with cancer or pregnant people or organ recipients, i worry it'll get worse before it gets better. Especially with social media breeding such a self centered perspective on life and a sense of self importance. I wonder if it's this way in other countries too or just the US. >
  
  It absolutely is the same way in other countries. It may look a little different, but people have definitely reacted the same way, at least from a logical perspective.   
  Look at the Canadian trucker situation, and the Swedish approach to COVID from the start, Q-anon inspired would-be coupers in Germany, etc...  
  I don't know how we collectively dig ourselves out of this, but the focus of my life moving forward it to spend what energy and time I have left on this earth trying to figure out what I can do to help move us in that direction.   
  What I do know is that this is not the way to do things.   
  I'm glad you've engaged here, it's always nice to know that there are others out there who are paying attention to things and actually have empathy. >
  
  Definitely, it's been nice chatting with you too. I'm trying to make a difference too, starting within my family while my kids are little and my parents need help, and hopefully finding a way to contribute to change in society too. Take care, stay healthy. >
  
  Well, they ALSO chose a stock photo of people actually WEARING MASKS!!! >
  
  And a PornHub baseball cap >
  
  1.1 million people unavailable for comment due to unspecified illness >
  
  That's for the world. The 1.1 million for the US is probably fairly close, as opposed to say India where the excess deaths are about 10x the reported COVID deaths. >
  
  I think the US count is still off by hundreds of thousands if you look at excess mortality. >
  
  millions - it doesn't take into account just how many people are living off the counts >
  
  Fuck. There goes my Medicaid >
  
  Yep. Or at least they'll now go into full-time reviewing... but first drop you while they spend a year reviewing your case. >
  
  I wonder how this will impact things like loan forgiveness in the courts, which relied on the emergency declaration to get authorization. I have a feeling SCOTUS will give a legally dubious "it was valid at the time of the order but now the declaration is rescinded, so it would be irrelevant by the time we'd let you do it anyway." Thus they don't have to actually decide on whether it was legal and just skip to the boot. They used similar reasoning in other laws they've tossed down in the last decade or so.
  Until now I thought they were going to toss it down on the basis that "COVID isn't a big deal anymore," and just ignore the emergency declaration - they also used that reasoning in another COVID-related case recently (Gorsuch stood with liberals in opposing that opinion if I recall correctly). >
  
  Welp ok. I currently have Covid. It's not bad, but I have missed work now for 7 days. Cough, congestion, exhaustion, yet no fever. Will this be like the flu from now on? Who knows. I just don't know what to do. >
  
  Most of us are mainly concerned because the "new norm" is just the status quo with no increased safety nets for a disease that is still much more than the flu.   Covid will cause people to lose jobs and more without the protection because we learned nothing and put nothing into place.  Collectively.  Individually I can protect myself but that is little comfort if I get long covid and lose my job. >
  
  A proper road ahead is pretty clear it.  The road has just been heavily sabotaged with politics and misinformation.  Covid will hurt a lot of people in the US because of this, somewhat, forced designation removal.
  For the pragmatic individuals like myself we see the road that is paved with politics, misinformation and good ol American stubbornness having a huge hole in it when it comes to the "next thing".  If we, for example, get a disease in the h1n1 levels of virility  as the "next one" A LOT of people are going to die because of bad lessons learned from this go around. >
  
  
  A proper road ahead is pretty clear
  
  OK, but what is it? >
  
  Y'all know you can still take precautions against COVID without there being emergency declarations right? >
  
  Sure, but that ain't gonna make the hospitals any less crowded. 
  Every procedure I've had for the last three years has faced major difficulties in availability thanks to the combination of the pandemic and doctor burnout. 
  It's the sole reason my right knee is still pitiful human flesh and not kick-ass chrome-plated titanium. >
  
  Are the emergency declarations making the hospitals less crowded? >
  
  I honestly don't know what these people actually want. We are 3 years out now and I see maybe 5% masked out in public. Everyone who wanted to get the vaccine has received it. People are over it, we have done what we can do. China stayed isolated indoors for 3 years and is currently getting overrun, I'm not sure what people who complain about removing the emergency declaration are actually wanting the government to do for them?
  Just wear a mask in public and avoid people, if that's what you want to do. >
  
  One of the impacts of removing the declaration is that testing, vaccines, and treatments will no longer be fully covered by private insurance or Medicaid creating a financial burden for many. Keep in mind with the current accessible vaccines yearly injections are recommended for continued coverage. Those that get sick or exposed are still recommended to be tested and receive appropriate treatment. While that was fully covered in the past none of it will be when the declaration ends. Not to mention vaccines, testing, and treatment are all active events people must willingly partake in, the government could’ve required COVID funds be used for passive mitigation efforts like implementing appropriate filtration and sterilization to air systems for schools. Passive mitigation strategies benefit the public health of the community without requiring the community to actually make an effort themselves. Instead COVID funds went to personal pet projects of local politicians. >
  
  
  One of the impacts of removing the declaration is that ... vaccines ... will no longer be fully covered by private insurance or Medicaid creating a financial burden for many.
  
  Who pays for my free yearly flu vaccine, or the whole host of vaccines my children have received since they were born? I would imagine, with the recent guidance on yearly COVID vaccines, it would be covered the same as all the others we receive through our life. >
  
  Not sure of your personal situation but for my family the flu shot was only covered if it was administered in the office of my child’s government selected PCP. Otherwise I was required to pay for the flu shot to be administered at a pharmacy or other location. Her PCP doesn’t carry the flu or COVID shot in office, nor do any of the other pediatricians in our area that are on the state funded health plan. >
  
  As a Canadian... What the fuck?
  I roll up to the pharmacy of my local grocery store in the Fall and have my shot done in 5 minutes... Flash my provincial health card and that's that...   
  Oh, I'm not at the grocery store but there's literally any pharmacy here? I can go there and get it done...  
  I'm at my GP for a physical? I can get it there...  
  I'm at the walk-in clinic to get something minor checked? I can get it there instead...  
  Shit, I'm surprised we don't have drive-thru options yet xD >
  
  Yes we’re well aware y’all have a better healthcare system - the comparisons have been beaten to death on this site >
  
  Frequent reminders that you should have it better than you do are not necessarily a bad thing… Get out of the complacency and demand better. >
  
  Congrats to COVID for winning the war on COVID. >
  
  Great. Once the emergency declarations are lifted we'll just have COVID-19. >
  
  what about those student loans? removing the declaration would give legal challenge ... >
  
  Psst...that ship has sailed. I would have owed $700 between my spouse and me. Guess what, fully prepared to start paying back the 20k now.
  They don't care about us and never did. As long as businesses, owners, and CEOs keep their money flowing. Doesn't matter who you vote for. It's shit vs shittier. >
  
  
  Doesn't matter who you vote for. It's shit vs shittier.
  
  Yes but that shittier is EXTREMELY shittier. I mean the Dems did actually push for student debt relief and were blocked by radical right wing judges. Should they have fought harder? Absofuckinglutely. But playing both sides as usual is a joke. >
  
  The big guy collected his 10% already? >
  
  Here am i just now getting COVID for the first time after all this… >
  
  Meanwhile, my husband will be bringing home my fourth case of Covid...
  He's a Special Procedures technologist at a hospital.
  Yes, we are both vaxxed. >
  
  Reminiscent of W. Bush on an aircraft carrier with a Mission Accomplished banner. >
  
  Us: “Are you sure it’s really ov—“
  Govt:  “It SAYS ‘Mission Accomplished’.”
  Us: “But—“
  Govt: “MISSION. ACCOMPLISHED.” >
  
  Soooo Biden didn't actually want student loan forgiveness then, right? How is this supposed to be argued in court when he declares Covid is over. >
  
  Would someone please inform Covid-19 of this development. >
  
  They really shat on the word “emergency” >
  
  People are freaking out...but does anyone actually believe it's feasible to have an emergency declaration in place forever? We have vaccines and at this point it has to be treated like the flu. We can't live in a perpetual state of emergency. >
  
  The Patriot Act was an emergency response that was in effect as a reaction to 9/11 and that's still in effect today. >
  
  Downright strange that this article doesn't mention >10,000 people are dying every month in the US from COVID. Weird and probably just a coincidence that MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, etc. also aren't reporting these numbers or on COVID-19 morbidity. >
  
  More people die from alcohol and cigarettes and no one reports on that. >
  
  its the third leading cause of death in the US behind cancer and heart disease, so no thats not accurate. >
  
  …what do you think is a leading contributor to heart disease? >
  
  I’m looking through your post history. I was able to read your comment before you deleted. You said you pointed out articles but your post history says otherwise. 
  So, again, walk us through this conclusion you came to. Dead ass no bullshit. Walk us through the process you took to arrive at it. >
  
  The next “extension” bs right before it expires in 3 2 1... >
  
  I mean thank god for those 2 checks we got to help us survive 3 years >
  
  Continuing the new American tradition of ignoring a pandemic that has not gone away. And saying fuck the medically vulnerable. >
  
  Vaccine and boosters, plus a mask in many situations are a good idea. There is a large spectrum of ways to place safeguards without doing what China did, and I never said we could make it go away. It will not go away. Doing nothing and having nothing in place to assist people is a bad idea. >
  
  All if that can still be done tho. So what does this really change? >
  
  Funding and the ability of the executive branch to do its job. >
  
  Weird because that's my birthday.
  Anyway, whoever reads this, I hope you have a good and prosperous 2023. >
  
  Thank you so much! >
  
  Oh is it? Husband infected for second time >
  
  A 9/11 is happening every week in the US. But nobody wants to see or hear about people still dying by the truckload every day.
  Wish there was a way out of this fucking Ponzi scheme of a country. >
  
  Cool now do the ones put in place after 9/11 >
  
  The escalating COVID-19 pandemic is a mass disabling event; this is a reality that we cannot ignore, as our bodies will continue to fail prematurelyvall around us. >
  
  Good luck, immunocompromised. You didn't matter before, you matter even less now. >
  
  How did the immunocompromised survive before Covid with the flu and other seasonal respiratory illnesses? >
  
  Those weren't as easily spread as COVID and didn't result in the same damaging short and long-term effects that can happen with COVID. >
  
  So what do you propose then to help the immunocompromised, and for how long do you think those measures should be in place? >
  
  
  So what do you propose then to help the immunocompromised, and for how long do you think those measures should be in place?
  
  How about not kicking a significant number of them off Medicaid and removing affordable (read: free) options for both testing and vaccinations?
  ​
  Because that's what this is doing. It isn't ending mask mandates. Nobody is enforcing those at this point.  This is 100% about booting people off government programs (austerity without calling it such) that protect their lives.
  ​
  But don't take my word for it: read what will actually happen. I mean, it was linked in the article, too, but here's a direct one.
  ​
  This has a wide range of negative effects from clawing back health coverage from children and adults, ending subsidized tests and vaccines, kicking people off food assistance, and revoking your ability to receive experimental therapies (EUA).
  ​
  Literally nothing to do with masking and staying six feet apart. The only people saying that are those with a political message to sell or people who haven't set foot outside their houses for more than a year and a half to realize nobody is doing that anymore except for extreme minority outliers.
  ​
  This is 100% cruel, 100% heartless, and 100% class warfare waged by the rich against the people who work for a living and their loved ones.  Because this money isn't going to just disappear; it's going to be reappropriated upwards like always happens. >
  
  The amount of people in this thread saying "you can still wear a mask lol" is just proof that covid gave people brainrot. >
  
  Still roughly the third leading cause of death behind cancer and heart disease. I'm sure ignoring it entirely is the best option. >
  
  That’s not what this is. >
  
  Oh good, that'll fix it.