But you can swap pretty much instantly just like if it was a talent point, you are not locked into that choice. So its no longer a choice its an option which you can take or discard anytime you want.
However Covenants is a choice, if they didn’t allow to swap covenants it would truely be a move forward and never look back moment. It locks you in this choice , you can’t choose a power from other covenants , you can’t choose a soul bind from another covenant and you can’t indefinitely switch your conduits as you like . For you to change your covenant which originally should never had happened it may take you a few weeks to recover .
It is designed to be punishing and limiting , so if you feel that way. Well yeah “Working as intended” .