starting with his total denial of its danger...then "Slow Walking"...then refusal to promote even the simplest of mitigation measures (masking and social distancing) while waiting for the vaccines to arrive...and finally by failing to use his bullhorn to urge everyone to get vaccinated...meanwhile, he himself benefitted from the very best the medical profession had to offer, including experimental drugs to save his life after he contracted the disease...and vaccination after that...what a piece of work.
Trump has fanned the flames of vaccine and masking denials by keeping his mouth shut (for a change) and failing to LEAD people in the proper direction...we would be in a MUCH BETTER place had he turned his sales prowess toward defeating COVID-19. Hopefully, the GOP will get back on track and we can return to a "checks and balances" world that offers legitimate alternatives to Democrat suggested programs, yet with the shared goal of making everyone better off...not just on the medical front.
wrt totally eliminating COVID-19...it was always a hope IF we could have done all the right things (see above), but sadly we didn't have the necessary leadership and now our best outcome is "Endemic Status"...not terrible, but doable. It's a shame that we're stuck with this situation, and you are right about having a replicating virus hanging around...potentially worse variants could be in the offing...keep you fingers crossed, but by the same token, some folks are saying very positive things regarding the potential of mRNA and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technologies to possibly eradicate coronaviruses...encourage your kids and grandkids to go into biotech ;-).