As enemies new and old encircle us, we keep finding ways to shift responsibility for securing our own survival.

(Originally published Jan. 19 in “What in the World“) Despite claims that South Africa may be “over” Omicron, deaths there continue to climb. Epidemiologists warn that deaths from Covid in the U.S. could also be set for a sharp increase, despite a precipitous decline in daily infections, from astronomical to merely meteoric, that the media has elected to interpret as a harbinger of the pandemic’s imminent finale.

If only. The WHO has reiterated warnings that Omicron’s prevalence means more strains are likely coming our way. And with Covid now clearly jumping back and forth between different species, from cats to dogs to deer and now even hamsters, we aren’t likely to get rid of it anytime soon.

Aside from hope that vaccine makers will by March come up with inoculations tailored for Omicron and its descendants, we don’t have many weapons left that we’ve the stomach to use. U.S. President Joe Biden is on Wednesday reportedly planning to announce the release of 737 million N95 masks from the U.S. government’s—and who knew this existed?—Strategic National Stockpile of surgical masks. That’s enough masks for every American adult to protect themselves and others from Omicron for three whole days.

After that, who knows? God forbid we summon the willpower to stay away from our fellow man and furry critters for even a fortnight—unless it’s for a $500-a-night, reiki-cum-ayahuasca spiritual retreat. People would rather risk their own lives and sacrifice those of their fellow citizens, as 70,000 who gathered in German cities to protest Covid-related restrictions have demonstrated.

They may get the chance to sacrifice lives much sooner and in a much more palpalbe way. The U.S. is planning another meeting with Russia to try to avert an attack on Ukraine that Washington says Russia is preparing. Russia recently evacuated staff from its embassy in Kyiv, which may presage an attack—or might be a bluff.

If it’s a bluff it’s a very convincing one: In addition to launching a cyberattack against Ukraine and shipping in saboteurs, Russia is amassing troops and armor on the border and sending others into Belarus for what are billed as joint military exercises. The United Kingdom has responded by shipping anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.