The Brief: On Twitter, people are joking about how the phrase "once COVID is over" refers to a possibly distant future.

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DEEP DIVE

For the past year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people around the world, the phrase “once COVID is over” has become a common way to refer to a time where the virus will be under control and won’t pose such a deadly threat to the general public. While some countries and regions have made significant strides to mitigate the effects of the virus and vaccine distribution has begun, in the United States and much of the rest of the world, the “end” of the pandemic still seems far away.

On Twitter, people are expressing this sentiment in memes about how the phrase “once COVID is over” is synonymous with other far-off or even impossible concepts.

https://twitter.com/_justwinnie/status/1353043712125923329

A bad sign for anyone who was hoping to meet Harry Styles after the pandemic ends:

For anyone looking for a more optimistic take on the subject, here are some of the fun things people are planning for when they get vaccinated.