Editorial: Done with COVID-19? Alas, COVID-19 is not yet done with us

In recent days, Matthew Broderick has become infected with COVID-19. So has Sarah Jessica Parker. And Daniel Craig.

Those star names all are appearing in Broadway shows at present and their cases are illuminating not just due to their celebrity but because they are working in rigorously tested environments where infections are detected fast and public disclosures made.

This hardly is just a New York issue. The virus has been surging in Washington, D.C., where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday she had tested positive, sparking worries due to her close contacts with a bevy of high ranking officials. Other politicians made the same announcement. And in Chicago on Wednesday, both the lead performers in the touring production of “Moulin Rouge” had to miss what would have been their own opening night.

A glance across the pond also confirms that the virus hardly has moved on with the headlines. Just a couple of weeks ago, the BBC reported some 14% of the Scottish population was simultaneously infected with the virus. Clearly, the so-called omicron BA.2 variant is far from done with us.

The headlines have, of course, mostly moved on to Ukraine and elsewhere. And governments around the world have realized that lockdowns no longer are feasible. They have dismantled mandates and turned instead to encouraging vaccination and voluntary caution. This is inevitable: We long ago realized we would have to live with this virus for a long time.

The good news, of course, is that omicron appears to be mild for most vaccinated people and that we are not returning to the mass hospitalizations and deaths that dominated the news two years ago, as we all huddled at home. Assuming it has been over four months since their last jab, Americans over 50 years old now are eligible for a fourth shot. They are easily available.

If that’s your demographic, we encourage you to get further protected without delay.

Vulnerable populations remain exactly that. Tolerance and understanding remain essential attributes.