Sure. Eventually. But that usually takes years, sometimes generations, not months.

We already know immunity to Covid-19 lasts on average about 4 months. Then you can get it again. So, in order for it to become endemic, people are going to have to survive multiple infections. Not one.

It’s not just a pneumonia causing illness. It damages blood vasculature and other organs. That damage may or may not be permanent. How do we fare after multiple infections?

We just don’t know yet. Our evidence is anecdotal so far. I’ve learned of three cases. One had severe illness requiring hospital the first time but mild symptoms the second. The second had symptoms requiring hospitalization the first infection and died with the second infection. The third had very mild symptoms and was treated at home. The second infection she got killed her. She was young, early 30s, with no co-morbidities. I don’t know about the prior health of the other two. One was older, but not elderly, late 50s I think.

This herd immunity strategy seems like Russian Roulette to me. Maybe a better analogy would be playing with fire.

Further, fewer people are dying because we’re figuring out how to treat it better, not because resistance to it is improving. That only works as long as heath care resources, personnel, and spacing aren’t overrun. We get to a triage situation again and people are going to be getting a lot less care; they’re going to have to take their chances with it alone with only their own immune system to help them through. Many more just won’t make it through. The death rate will spike again, back to where it was or higher.