The world and its societies have been changed a lot in the past three years. No one has thought a small, nasty virus would take countries to the borders of their health care systems and far going measures for citizens.
by Geert Braam
Since the omicron-variant has spread around the world, the hospitals are becoming emptier. Though many people do self-isolation, but I thank God this mutation reduces big pressure on the health care systems – in the Western world. Now the time has come to take a careful look over my shoulder to see what the corona virus caused in the world and my personal life.
The first wave in spring 2020 was the most particular one in my opinion. I mean, the virus was quite new and unknown, and in The Netherlands there was a scarce of protecting equipment, as in face masks and hand sanitizer liquid. The country was theoretical still open, but many people took note of the urgent request to stay at home. It was very strange to see, even the always crowded city centre of Amsterdam was as empty as I never saw before.
Far going measures
It is interesting to see how far governments can go to save their health care systems. And of course, nobody knew in the first period how the virus could spread exactly. Initially the citizens has been forced to maintain the one and a half meter distance (social distancing!), wash their hands frequently, sneeze and cough in the elbow and use paper handkerchiefs. And of course, take a corona test and do self-isolation when people feel ill.
But those measures were not enough. The new cases of corona infected people increased every day. In two years we had four times that there was a peak of new confirmed cases.
I don’t know anymore in what order the measures started, but we saw soccer competitions in empty stadiums, restaurants and bars that closed by 8:00 PM, required proofs of vaccination or negative tests and even two months with a serious curfew. Far going measures so to save the hospitals from a bigger incoming stream of people in need than the nurses can handle.
Corona as a journalistic hype
It is interesting to see how politics, journalism and society go along together. For all of us the corona virus was a new, dangerous thing and the hard working journalists guide us ( = we as citizens) through hard times. I love journalism for many reasons, the creativity to find new angles in a big subject and fast changing world is one of them.
Journalism is necessary because it feeds citizens with facts, true stories and a critical view to powers, like the democracy, the royal house and the constitutional state. Could you imagine how corona would treat us when there is no news?
Studying in times of lockdowns
Living and studying in times of a closed world was interesting and challenging. Lessons on Microsoft Teams – the casual version of Skype – was the alternative of physical lessons, due to the closed universities. Those lessons on my computer was not my cup of tea, so I must confess I skipped some classes because I was not motivated to attend them. Home is home for me, a place to live and sleep, and school is the right place to attend lectures and study by yourself.
It was a big relieve when the Prime Minister announced that the schools opened up begin of this year, finally meeting other pupils again and meetings with the teachers are back. I really missed it.
All taken into considering, the current Omicron-variant is both a curse and a blessing. The people are still infected, corona will never disappear. On the other hand, the public life can restart because this mutation doesn’t take many sick people to the hospitals anymore – a shout-out to the vaccin developers is in its place.
geertsweblog 