When will the pandemic be ‘over’?

PLUS: The Covid-19 headlines you need to know, a distraction, and something to read.

View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions By Eve Sneider | 09.29.22 As the news keeps evolving, we're here to bring you the most reliable coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Subscribe to support our journalism. China's zero-Covid messaging comes under fire, cases rise in the UK, and Canada drops travel restrictions. But first, here's this week's big story: How will we know when the pandemic is 'over'? If the pandemic isn't over yet, how will we know when it is? The WHO says the end is in sight. The Department of Health and Human Services notes that the US is still in a public health emergency. Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in America are all going down, but as of last week, only 1.5 percent of eligible Americans had received the new bivalent booster. More and more cities and countries around the world are shedding the last of their Covid restrictions. Americans are eager to resume many activities, but not all. All of which is to say, no one, including experts and officials, seem to have a clear answer. Still, some have said that at this stage it's important to remember we might never reach a single moment when the pandemic has clearly reached its end. The most realistic scenario may be that Covid-19 becomes endemic, at which point it will still be present but won't be overwhelming. Other experts say that we'll know the pandemic is over when it's clear we're ready for the next one. On that front, it could be a long time. Headlines China's Communist Party is relying heavily on propaganda to justify the stringent measures being taken to eradicate all cases of Covid-19. Some citizens are taking issue with the messaging. (New York Times) In the past week cases in the UK have risen 30 percent, a trend that experts say could foreshadow the next phase of the pandemic in the US. (CNN) Starting on Saturday, Canada will no longer require visitors entering the country to show proof of vaccination, get tested, isolate or quarantine, wear a mask on planes or trains, or abide by any travel restrictions. (Washington Post) North Korea has started rolling out vaccines in regions near its borders. Until now, it was the only remaining country alongside Eritrea that hadn't begun widespread vaccine distribution. (Wall Street Journal) Lauren Gardner, the John Hopkins engineer who created a comprehensive Covid-19 tracker in January 2020, won a major award for public service. The site has always been free and widely available, and proved a critical resource at the height of the pandemic. (ABC) Science Spotlight The Era of Fast, Cheap Genome Sequencing Is Here Ten years ago, sequencing a human genome cost $10,000. That number has since fallen to around $600. And now, Illumina has unveiled the lowest price tag yet. NASA's DART Spacecraft Smashes Into an Asteroid—on Purpose Usually, spacecraft are supposed to avoid collisions in outer space. But NASA's DART did just the opposite. Daily Distraction Technology has always aimed to make hard tasks faster and easier. But to stop the spread of misinformation, it might need to force us to slow down. Something to Read In 1674, a Dutch fabric seller became the first person to ever see a microorganism. Nearly 350 years later, researchers may have finally figured out how he did it. Sanity Check Even if you've lost your paper vaccine card, it's important to have your vaccination records on hand. Here are some ways to keep track of your shots. GET WIRED Get WIRED for just $29.99 $5. Includes the print edition plus editor in chief Gideon Lichfield's column, System Update. Subscribe now. Have questions or comments? Reply to this email.   This email was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our email address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or Manage your newsletter subscriptions   Copyright © Condé Nast 2022. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.