Well, right, but, we have a lot more than “pockets” remaining in the USA.
Granted that high mitigation areas are also likely to have high vaccination numbers. However, I see little evidence that current vaccines by themselves reduce spread of a variant as infectious as Delta-COVID.
It would then seem that blue and purple states will hold on to heavy mitigation and mandates (perhaps on and off) for quite some time — until true “natural” herd immunity occurs (assuming it is long lasting in mild or asymptomatic cases) and / or “nasal” vaccines are widely accepted.
To tell the truth, I can find no convincing evidence that “natural” COVID immunity will be any better than “natural” flu immunity. Plus, the fact that COVID has jumped to many animal species leads to all sorts of unpleasant possibilities should it jump back in altered form. Ugh.
“ I can find no convincing evidence that “natural” COVID immunity will be any better than “natural” flu immunity”
Reportedly, people who had the related SARS and MERS still seem to show durable immune response.
Reinfection rates from COVID, as well as severe outcomes from breakthrough cases, seem very low.