[Roccus]

Will this country ever get back to normal?

Or will this become the NEW new normal?

We live in interesting times.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Or will this become the NEW new normal?

I suspect we'll get back to something like the normal you knew, with a few wrinkles.

More people will eschew hand-shaking
This goofy idea Ambassador Birx floated about Senior Citizen Only shopping hours might stick.
There will be even MORE pressure on those of us who doubt the safety/efficacy of vaccines to bend-over and comply.

I also think there will be some positive effects.

Supply chains are going to repatriate from China. The world will never trust them to this level again. That will have the added benefit of cutting resources to their military.

Some STOOOOOOPID political correctness about herding everyone into choo-choo trains and getting rid of plastic bags may go away.

There is some chance that this will be the beginning of the end for really EEEEEEEVIL regimes in Iran and China.

That latter one would make this all worth it.