Biden’s ‘Pandemic is Over’ Claim Reflects ‘Fatigue’ of US Society Ahead of Midterms, Experts Say

In a lengthy interview with CBS on Sunday, US President Joe Biden told journalist Scott Pelley that “the pandemic is over,” even as he acknowledged that “we still have a problem with Covid.”

Biden’s “pandemic is over” claim has infuriated many Americans, who noted on social media that US citizens continue to die from COVID-19 at a rate of 180,000 people per year, and that the president himself was infected with SARS-CoV-2 just two months ago.

In addition, many netizens pointed out that the pandemic is a global phenomenon and vaccination around the globe is not equal: according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), just 24.4% of Africa’s 1.2 billion people had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of July 2022. The World Health Organization (WHO), which designates pandemics, has not made a statement similar to Biden’s and the US CDC still lists COVID-19 as a public health emergency.

Dr. Harvey Schantz, professor of political science at State University of New York, told Sputnik that Biden’s declaration was shrew politics ahead of the November midterm elections, in which people commonly vote against the president’s party.

“Biden is priming voters to think more about his management of the coronavirus pandemic when they evaluate his overall performance in office,” Schantz said on Monday.

“Biden is faced with a dilemma. Biden’s job approval is often judged highest on managing the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is an ‘urgent issue’ to few Americans,” he explained, noting that a Quinnipiac Poll published on August 31 found that half of voters approved of his handling of the pandemic, but only 1% felt it was the most urgent issue.

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 file photo, vials for the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines

© AP Photo / Charles Krupa

“In order for Biden and the Democrats to benefit from his performance on the pandemic, Biden has to convince voters to think about the pandemic when they are evaluating him and when they go to vote in the midterm elections,” he said. “For an issue to sway votes, it has to be a most important issue for a set of voters. For that reason, Biden is eager to bring up the pandemic at available opportunities.”

“If Biden can convince voters to prioritize his performance on the pandemic and not focus so much on the economy his approval ratings will rise and Democratic congressional candidates will benefit in the upcoming midterm elections as well.”

Quardricos Driskell, adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Political Management of The George Washington University and policy influencer and federal lobbyist, told Sputnik that Biden, “like other policymakers, are fatigued with the continued focus and restrictions of COVID-19.”

“President Biden is reading the political tea leaves - the general sentiment is that most people are exhausted by COVID and the mask-wearing requirements, hence the push to declare an end to COVID-19. But from a public health perspective, this is a grave error, according to a recent report by the Brookings Institution,” he said, noting that around 16 million working-age US citizens have “Long Covid,” which costs the economy at least $170 billion in lost wages per year.

Driskell cautioned that “despite the country's progress made with the COVID-19 pandemic, we must remain nimble and on guard. We are clearly entering a new, endemic phase with COVID-19, navigating ever-evolving variants, and this is the reality of the pandemic.”

“However, for many patients, especially those with autoimmune, immune-mediated and immunocompromised individuals in the US, the stakes may be even higher than they were two years ago. We know that current vaccines and treatments don’t work for everyone, and some are unable to take any of the options currently offered, and the risk to those who remain vulnerable to severe disease, including COVID-19, is compounded today by the removal of mask requirements, a push to return to ‘normal,’ and ever-diminishing social distancing and caution by individuals,” he noted.

As such, Driskell pointed out that Biden’s declaration is “antithetical” to his healthcare agenda, which includes a “moonshot” to cure cancer as well as to continue strengthening the Affordable Care Act and expanding Medicaid.

A woman holds two boxes of at-home Covid-19 test kits after waiting in a long line that snakes multiple times around the Shaw Library in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

© AP Photo / Andrew Harnik

“How does the administration expect to achieve any of this when we are conveniently ignoring that we as a country and world continue to face a public health crisis? The US, normally the world leader in biomedical research, was caught unprepared for such an unprecedented pandemic event. Now, after two years of COVID-19 infections and extraordinary mortality, the U.S. has a far greater understanding of this virus, its unpredictability, and the reasons we need to act now.”

Robert J. Spitzer, distinguished service professor of political science at the State University of New York, College at Cortland, said that COVID-19 “continues to be a pressing issue,” because “the virus continues to spread, although it is less severe than the earlier versions and more people are either vaccinated or have been exposed to the virus.”

“Biden’s statement essentially acknowledges the reality of the moment - that Americans are trying to resume a more normal life. It is still a significant public health concern, without question, but its degree and severity are sufficiently diminished that we are now seeing this turn toward normality,” he told Sputnik.

Spitzer noted that Biden’s administration and state governments alike have backed off almost every COVID-19 safety mandate, from mask-wearing to social distancing and vaccination requirements, although some individual venues have continued to require them on a piecemeal basis. At present, Covid safety practices are simply advisories.

“These steps show that the government is still working to fight the spread of the virus, even though most Americans are now feeling as though the worst of the pandemic has passed (which is true), but is still in the population.”