Apparently, many people find it difficult to understand that the corona virus in Germany and Switzerland is no longer a pandemic threat. We can and must now deal with it as with other pathogens, be it influenza, measles or HIV.
The pandemic phase is over for us. We can celebrate like the people here in a club in London.
Stephanie Lahrtz, Editor in the Science and Technology department.
You are reading an excerpt from the weekday newsletter “The Other View”, today by Stephanie Lahrtz, Editor in the Science and Technology Department. Subscribe to the newsletter for free. Not resident in Germany? Benefit here.
There were many warm words at the turn of the year. Hardly any politician forgot to mention the terrible war in Ukraine with appropriate dismay and to duly criticize the Russian aggressor. That’s good. But in Germany and in Switzerland, nobody has found the courage to say in no uncertain terms what many people are waiting for: the corona pandemic is over here. Just as President Joe Biden did for the United States back in September 2022.
Sure, in many countries most people have been living as if the pandemic spook was over since last summer at the latest. In Germany, on the other hand, saying goodbye is more difficult.
A lack of positioning fuels a loss of trust
The apparent refusal – or is it sheer incompetence? – the politicians to position themselves clearly, not only causes shaking of the head and incomprehension. It also fuels the loss of trust in politicians. Don’t they recognize the situation – or do they want to continue to manage the fear of the pandemic out of self-interest?
The individual return to normality cannot replace the official announcement of the nationwide end. “Together in, together out” (together in, together out) does not only apply to NATO operations. Even in the event of a catastrophe such as a virus pandemic, it is important that we consciously end it together. Anything else is not only counterproductive, but also really unhealthy.
We can rely on our immune protection
We in Europe in particular can now confidently announce the end of the pandemic in our respective countries. There are solid biological and medical reasons for this. Because the immune protection built up by infections and vaccinations protects against serious illnesses, even if new variants appear.
The corona virus will not go away. But it no longer threatens the entire population at the same time. Continuing to live in constant fear of a threat that no longer exists in this form, which paralyzes and makes you ill, both mentally and organically. In addition, we can only shape the new endemic phase if we have really mentally ended the pandemic phase. Many actually pointless measures, such as restricted visiting hours for relatives who have tested negative in retirement homes, are still justified with the pandemic condition.
Corona is now endemic, just like flu, HIV or measles. Living with an endemic virus does not mean that you no longer think about this pathogen or no longer protect yourself and others from it. Even in an endemic state, there can be situations in which countermeasures prescribed for everyone make sense in order to protect the healthcare system from being overloaded.
Let’s finally celebrate the end of the pandemic together!
Regardless of this, we can now celebrate the end of the pandemic with us. This does not mean that we are forgetting the dead and injured caused by the coronavirus and the countermeasures. Or not bother with their therapy. But we can be happy with all our hearts that we no longer live in the corona pandemic. Why are we celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of the new year with tens of thousands of francs or euros – but not the end of the pandemic?
Maybe it needs a new Schäfflertanz. This is a special dance of the Munich barrel makers. According to the stories, it was created in a year of plague. The whole city remained in fear, no one dared to go out into the streets. The young journeyman barrel makers threw themselves into their festive attire and marched through the streets singing and dancing. This also lured the other citizens out of their homes. Life slowly resumed its usual course.
It is not certain in which plague year the Schäfflertanz was first performed (and some historians doubt that the dance was intended to put an end to the plague at all). Anyway, the message hasn’t lost its validity: Let’s dance away the fear of the pathogen together. That leaves room for something new.