Opinion | What if we're in the middle — not the end — of the pandemic?

We would like to think we are at the end of a two-year pandemic. But what if we’re only halfway through? With the omicron variant starting to recede in parts of Europe and the United States, people have become tired and impatient. But if we have learned anything, it is that covid-19 is still evolving. Our experts cannot predict how, where or when it will strike again. It is imperative, therefore, to prepare for the possibility of further waves, even while we celebrate the ebbing of this one. Viruses mutate every time they are exposed to a host. Hundreds of millions of people have been infected by the coronavirus. Hundreds of millions more are likely to contract it over the course of this year. Tens of millions have active infections as you read this article. Increasing human immunity protects us but also favors the survival of new viral mutations that can overcome that immunity.