Are you already used to the new normal, the new standard and rules set? Do you still remember how it once was, how it all started one year ago? In polls, people were asked how long this epidemic"l would last. Some said 2-3 months, others one year or even longer.
In Dutch we would say "maak je borst maar nat" (literally translated in "you better wet your chest" which means count with the worst).
A different coronavirus was announced and with it the pandemic. The pandemic the leaders of the world talked about in October 2019. Do you remember when exactly your government announced it? Of course, it was not in October 2019 or earlier. They had to prepare for it first.
A pandemic, a crisis is a solution for each government that has to deal with more issues than it can handle.
The media announced exactly what the government wanted them to publish and they did a great job.
Some "specialist" made statistics based on what MIGHT happen and the might be good enough to make those people rule. The government, Dutch government (officially they left) "gave the key of the country out of hands to two people who love the media, are not focused on how to avoid an economical crisis, mental crisis but are only interested in the model they draw and they want to be right. That's why they focus on the worst scenario and ignore positive facts."
If it comes to this pandemic the glass is never full, not even half-filled.
If 600 people out of nearly 19 million ends up on the IC it's not a drama. It can't be called a drama or crisis. We talk about 0.003157% of all people. It's a negligible number, not different from the years before and way more people die as a result of cancer, heart diseases, influenza, the results of smoking, a bad lifestyle, car accidents, the results of being overweight et cetera.
Do you remember how you behaved after the news of this "killer" virus was spread?
The soap, disinfection, pharmaceutical industry made an enormous income. People started washing their hands, clean their houses, killed every spider and groceries were disinfected outside before taken in their homes. The post kept parcels for 6 weeks, disinfected them and during the "first wave" many dealt with FOMO if it comes to toilet paper. The run for toilet paper started in Australia after the rumour toilet paper was made in China only was spread. Not true but worldwide people treated toilet paper as if it was gold. It was toilet paper they bought not food. Worldwide people acted the same as if we can not use something else or our hand and water if we are out of paper.
You should think we would have lost weight after one year of "crisis". Reality shows the opposite. Not one single government invested time and money to make the people watch their weight. Although plenty of specialists listed from the very first day which people had the highest risk to end up on the IC with a ventilator! Those ending up on the IC, those killed by the virus were not the asthmatic and perfectly healthy ones.
Instead of losing weight whole nations gained weight, more weight than is healthy for a person. Although, fear is spread no action is taken to make the nation more active and eat less. They let the people gain weight, some countries opened the liquor stores during lockdowns and... we all started wearing a facemask. Not the really good ones but those we made ourselves, or the cheap Chinese product not one single doctor or dentist is allowed to use. We washed our hands, stopped shaking hands (a relief to some), gave up on hugging, embracing but at least we all wear a face mask. The same mask it is time after time after time because it's not realistic to use a brand new one every few hours and it's impossible to wash twenty masks on a daily base. That mask... It catches the bad breath, it's smelly and humid, dusty because it stays behind in the car or it's in our pocket but at least we feel save. A facemask no matter which kind or how dirty makes the feared ones feel save. Slowly they forget about cleaning up the place, the doorknob, the hunt for spiders, about keeping distance. We no longer feel the need to buy a mountain of toilet paper, flour, sugar, cigarettes, alcohol or disinfection spray. We no longer disinfect our hands before we enter a shop, wear gloves and guess what? Bread is no longer wrapped in bags or paper. You can grab it yourself with your own hands again. You can touch every product and so does the rest. A dirty facemask is all we needed. Shops accept cash again and the nation is relieved. We survived the first wave it's time to go on a holiday. Going abroad isn't such a bad idea.
Can you remember when it was the last time we heard any news from China? I mean does anyone know how many people are sick, are the Chinese positive did they find any mutations of this virus? The last news I read was their lockdown is over, people got back to work and we all know China made a huge profit out of this epidemic. The sold face masks, ventilators, digital thermometers and much more. It makes one wonder. It makes me wonder about the virus, those things we no longer care about and why we go bankrupt while the Chinese picked up on their daily life months ago.
Can we say one country does better than the other if it comes to the number of people infected? No, we cannot. There are small countries with 2 times more population than their neighbours.
For example countries like Danmark, Finland and Sweden do have about 1/3 of the population of the Netherlands. The USA has about 331,131,490, Indonesia 270,203,917, Nigeria 211,401,000, and countries like Canada 38,344,040, and Australia 25,744,546. And what to think about Belgium and Austria? Both are way bigger than the Netherlands but their population is not as high, they are not doing better on the contrary.
We are aware where many people live the infection rates are the highest but how come in certain countries with a lower population and more restrictions it's so hard to fight a virus?
The problem is we know nothing and what we know, is told, is the black page of the book only. No solutions but keep spreading fear is the policy.
After the holidays are over it was time to spread again to keep the people inside. Everything was done to prove, make people believe this virus is different from influenza. Doctors and specialists sharing their experiences were forced to shut up. Social media deleted their messages, videos, statements, newspapers refused to publish the news, the opposite of what is told. We have to believe this is the worst thing that can happen to us but is it? Those with other diseases, cancer, those who need surgery no longer count. They can drop dead and those who did die of covid-19. It is what they decided, what doctors have to write down. The new normal means you no longer die of cancer, a heart attack or high age, you die of covid-19. Even if you commit suicide you died because of the coronavirus.
The question remains... Why do governments preach they want to safe people? Are they? Really? How come dying is not allowed if it comes to the coronavirus but you can if you have influenza?
The second wave. The model made by one single person says it will happen and because the model says so it happens. Why should it be different?
People staying at home, schools are closed... It doesn't make any difference. More people are infected although they are not sick. They feel fine but infected means you spread it. More quarantine, more restrictions, more hours wearing a facemask. We know it's nonsense, we know this virus is spread inside not outside, it's tested during demonstrations. We know we have to ventilate, wash our hand's et cetera but we gave up on most of it. We have that facemask and stay home.
The media keeps saying how worse it is and the governments keep telling us we all need to be vaccinated. Of course, vaccination is a free choice but if you refuse your shot you are no longer welcome anywhere. No travelling, no school, no festivals, no concerts, no theatre, no restaurant... It not only feels like discrimination it is discrimination.
The vaccine... Over 200 pharmaceutical industries are developing something that will fight the virus. The first virus. By now we have more than two other mutations (seek and you will find) and the vaccination will not help against these mutations but they make a huge income!
"It's mainly a vaccination against fear," a famous Dutchman said and he is right. Those face masks no longer do the trick, "we need something else to fight the fear and wake us up. It all went too far."
Again it's lockdown time although the only crisis people see is the one that concerns their finances. Shops, businesses are closed. The entrepreneurs are close to bankruptcy, many are jobless. Governments do not care about the elderly. In some countries they will be vaccinated first, others will not waste vaccines on people who mainly spend their life inside in bed. These people are not the ones who travel, visit and infect others. Their health, the immune system is already vulnerable and most likely they will not be taken to hospital.
The vaccine... It's more like a holiday injection. If it works it's for three months only. No one knows if those who are infected won't spread the virus, infect other people. Vaccinated or not you still need to use your facemask, keep distance, stay home, are not allowed to visit more than one family and hugging is not allowed.
Those vaccines... They are transported in the wrong way, destroyed or injected if no one finds out about it or cares and for sure it will be a long winter if this winter ends at all.
The new normal will be the norm. No matter what governments say all those restrictions are not set to go back to normal. It's too late for that plus this was never the goal governments and the pharmaceutical companies set. If you haven't figured it out yet you will in the next five till ten years. It's the end of the world we once knew. It's the end of luxury life, the end of property, farms, many shops. Only the rich ones will get richer and the rest of us will be poor and live with that.
The third wave is announced. It's written in the model and the model, that model one person made up, is the truth. It's what we have to follow.
A small break might be given before the elections. Once people are out and have fun they forget. We easily forget just like we did with keeping distance, washing hands, cleaning the doorknobs and our hunt for spiders. Of course, the amount of those tested positive drops. It's winter, test locations are closed, vaccinations not given and people stay inside. It's cold outside, we do not ventilate and much heats the place. The virus... It loves higher temps, fat people, those who can not afford healthy food. Altogether it doesn't matter how many get ill since at home we can only infect ourself, ourself and our family.
The third wave... It's announced which means the government sticks to it. The date is May 2021.
It's only a matter of time how long people are willing to give up on everything.
Although schoolchildren have to let themselves tested if one child is tested positive (no matter if they feel sick) prime minister Rutte said he was not tested even once because he never felt ill. Not tested once in one year time although he had contact with colleagues being positive and traveled around. It makes me think and it should make many think.
Can one trust a government that forces people to test themselves if they ignore, do not care about the rules themselves?
The new normal did not end yet. New rules, new laws will be forced upon the people. That human chip is on its way so are demonstrations, rebellions, fights and prisons being filled. Crises lay ahead and we better be prepared since the future is worse than a virus and the rumour of a lack of toilet paper. In ten years from now our children will have to do what is left, the result of where our anxiety brought us. No facemask or vaccination will keep them safe.
The truth is there will always be a new model, a new wave and from behind the window it's where the new generation have to enjoy nature and can wonder if the air became cleaner.
#kittywu #politics #column #thoughts #life #covid19 #coronavirus
THIS is so true..."No solutions but keep spreading fear is the policy."