DThis sentence is easy to say from the mouth, it sounds so clear and logical: we must learn to coexist with the virus. Jens Spann He often said that the Federal Minister of Health is from the CDU. Virologist Hendrik Streeck said that the format is slightly modified: even after autumn, you will “have to deal with this virus.” Even British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that for him, living with the virus is mainly pretending that it does not exist.
Politicians like to hide things: this learning process is painful, it can only succeed through hard work, and is concealed by disappointed expectations.After people were able to recover from the pandemic this summer, it is now cruelly clear again that things are happening Corona Not everything is fine. The process of coexisting with pathogens entered a new stage in the autumn.
One reason is that the vaccination campaign continues to fall short of expectations. Of the 83 million people in the country, an estimated 20 million have so far failed to vaccinate themselves if possible. You choose to be part of the problem, not part of the solution. The extent to which society accepts this is still a question of discussion. Learn to live with corona? This also means forcing yourself to answer.
The virus is still a mystery
And this virus is still a mystery. It seems difficult to predict whether it will produce new variants that may undermine the protection of vaccination. Scientists have not yet been able to correctly clarify how long a vaccinated person can be protected from serious illness. The so-called booster vaccination has just started in some federal states; experts believe that after the second vaccination six months ago, the elderly, those in need of care, and those with previous illnesses need this booster. In some cases it may also apply to everyone else.
All of this led to the beginning of the vaccination campaign not the great redemption from evil that many people saw in it. With each vaccination selfie taken during the summer, the crisis seems to have slipped further into the past. But this lightness is an illusion. The pandemic is still unbearable. It is not easy to deal with this disappointment. It is covered by ignorance. When are human beings protected and at the mercy of pathogens? The unsatisfactory answer is usually: you don’t know. Or: It depends.
This does not mean that it is good for autumn and winter. The days are getting shorter and shorter, and there are fewer opportunities to breathe fresh air. But indoors, the risk of infection will increase. The dark season is like a magnifying glass, it adds problems and uncertainty. Virologist Christian Drosten has warned that the company will soon have to limit the number of contacts again. His prediction may be correct again, that the burden of infection will soon increase.
Who must restrict himself, when and how? The discussion will come. It will open up social wounds that have just begun to heal. Learn to coexist with the virus? Gladly. If it’s not so fucking hard.
