By Lindsay Der
With the introduction of the omicron variant to the United States and busy holiday travel, it is logical to assume that COVID in the New Year will present a more dangerous, deadly threat. However, even with the presence of the new strain and the annual travel boom, I expect COVID in 2022 to begin to fade away. I predict that there will be releases of more effective, stronger vaccines and possibly alternative tactics of containing the virus. I also predict that after the initial jump in cases that result from the holiday season, COVID numbers will see a gradual and permanent, other than a few jumps here and there, decline. As a result, by spring, regulations and legislation will have loosened and, in most places, required masks will be a thing of the past—though conscious citizens will continue to wear them. So my prediction for the coronavirus in 2022? Goodbye COVID!