Many people are facing Omicron feeling broken, our resilience worn down by unrelenting demands
“When all this is over …” These words started so many wistful sentences during Britain’s lockdowns of 2020. They carried the weight of our hopes and fears and grief and loss. When all this is over, we should have a national day of mourning for everyone and everything we’ve lost. When all this is over, we should honour our collective sacrifice by “building back better”. When all this is over, we should have a huge party and celebrate being able to dance and hug and feel free again.
But for anyone who still doubted it, the rapid spread of the Omicron variant brings home the difficult truth: the moment isn’t going to come “when all this is over”. The pandemic isn’t like a war, to be survived until the day when peace is made, and we can all exhale and begin picking up the pieces. It’s a new reality that will, at best, gradually fade into the background as the threat recedes and our coping strategies improve.
Christine Berry is a freelance writer and researcher based in Manchester
