Callistemon The latest research shows that the virus hasn't mutated as much as was thought.
The stark truth is, as you say, that it's not going to go away until a vaccine is developed, which is nowhere near happening yet (if ever).
So what happens next? We know that a percentage of people will die. It might only be 1% (or even a fraction of a percent), but we're still talking about hundreds of thousands of people. It's also clear that even those who don't die can sometimes suffer long-term, life-changing effects. We can also see a pattern in who is most likely to be severely affected.
So what do we do? The only defence any of us has at the moment is to keep away from other people. Any government which gives an impression that can change is IMO being knowingly negligent. If the pictures I saw of Friday's festivities were accurate and widespread, I despair.