Viruses may seem all-powerful, given their practical invisibility and ability to take down human hosts, which are 10 million times larger than them. But all viruses have a weakness: they're dependent on living things in order to reproduce and spread, which is why some experts debate if viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID, might not technically be alive.
When SARS-CoV-2 began spreading in force in early 2020, cities across the globe sheltered in place, trying to flatten the curve of rising cases. Many people stayed home for months and even years, until vaccines and drugs like Paxlovid became widespread. Even though the COVID pandemic is not over, we're in a different stage in late 2022 — hence, many people are choosing to return to a 2019 style of living, including going to restaurants, and attending concerts, holiday parties, and other large gatherings.
