Thanks for these well thought out and well-written responses. I see that I do have company in how I view this threat to health and to life.

The USA hasn't done the best job of dealing with the pandemic, but I believe I am lucky not to live in a poor country, where the resources are way less. I've read that Brazil does not have a very good healthcare infrastructure, which is contributing to that country's failure to cope with COVID-19. I agree with those saying we better lend financial support to such countries. While COVID remains a threat anywhere, it is a threat everywhere. We very well may have our lives changed for years to come.

I don't like living with this kind of threat hanging over me, but I guess I'll just have to adjust to this new reality. In bygone days, our predecessors lived with health threats that were serious. My younger sister had scarlet fever when we were kids. I remember the doctor coming to our house. She recovered okay. Not all kids did. Even today, there is no sure-fire prophylaxis. There is no vaccine for scarlet fever. It usually can be successfully treated with antibiotics, as it is bacterial. Dealing with a virus can be trickier.

Over time, maybe we'll just get used to living with this threat. I expect to be wearing masks in the winter for the rest of my life.