We have lived in a world of Covid for nearly 2 years. That seems hard to believe. Many of us want our lives back. I am one of those people. Yet, it doesn’t seem I will get it back anytime soon. That makes many people mad. Some people want all restrictions removed. They feel the restrictions penalize the young and healthy and believe we should concentrate on protecting the vulnerable and letting the rest live. Others think the restrictions are not harsh enough.
Recently a friend of my was very angry with how Canada was dealing with the pandemic. We should learn from Germany he said. They don’t imposed restrictions like we do and they are doing better than we are. Then–just a couple of days later–I heard Germany was the new hotspot for Covid, the worst place in Europe if not the world for Covid.
One thing I have learned during the pandemic is that it actually does move like a wave. People see it coming at them, and then as soon as the wave passes they think they are done. It’s over and they are quick to declare. Then the next wave comes over us again and then another. Each wave often seems worse than the one that preceded it.
As Dr. Hans Kluge , the WHO Regional Director for Europe said, said, “too often countries have declared the pandemic over when it was just a wave waiting for the next wave.” Manitoba certainly made this mistake, as ddi Saskatchewan and Alberta, but so did almost all jurisdictions.
Recently Europe has been hard hit. Now before we point wagging fingers at Europe we must remember this virus travels in waves throughout the world. We could be next. Manitoba is not yet out of the 4th wave!
We look at one state or one province or one country who is doing poorly in dealing with the virus and we are quick to wag our fingers and often we do it with deep feelings of superiority. Then it becomes our turn as the wave faces us.
Things change quickly. The only constant in the world of Covid is change. We should be used to that by now.