> The flu "epidemic" never ended. The common cold epidemic never ended.
It's almost like you didn't read the article because the point was made very clear that the "epidemic" does end when it transitions to something "endemic".
Most people wouldn't regard the common cold as an epidemic as you suggest it is. You're correct that we still live with it, but that doesn't make it an epidemic. As daily deaths continue falling at some point people will stop seeing COVID-19 as an epidemic but something that's endemic and treat it more like seasonal flu. It's not the eradication of the virus that marks the end of a epidemic, but it's declining severity and our changing approach to the virus.
You're misrepresenting what I'm saying. I put "epidemic" in quote marks for the reason you suggest. The argument that an epidemic ends when people get used to it is in itself nonsense. You need declining severity to an acceptable baseline too, and there's no guarantee that will happen with COVID. I mean you wouldn't replace a vaccination campaign with a "just get used to it" campaign, right? Although many people have actually tried to suggest that now that I think about it...
