ECQ or ICU? Better social isolation than treatment

A new lockdown, a new test of our patience. I understand that there are many people who are fed up with it. However, let us think about it — what would be the alternative? That we let the virus spread, that hospitals and intensive care units quickly reach their limits, and that people die pointlessly? Not to mention the danger of new mutants emerging and spreading.

I admit that sometimes it is better to do nothing than to do something bad, but here the situation is different: Every inaction leads to more deaths and ultimately to more restrictions. As a young student, I had the opportunity to do an internship as a scientific assistant in a Biosafety Laboratory Level 4, and I remember that pathogen mutations gave even the best scientists and doctors a lot of headaches, even only in theory. Unfortunately, we have now arrived at the practice.

I recently read in Science magazine about the new Lambda variant in South America, which is resistant to current vaccines. The airports and seaports must remain closed to prevent or at least delay the entry of any mutations. Travel restrictions are apocalyptic for tourism, but you cannot open doors when a disease poses a threat. Alternatively, would you voluntarily let a murderer into your house if he knocks on your door?

Freedom only makes sense if you can enjoy it and live it out, not if it takes us to the hospital or the cemetery. That is why we’re going through the misery of lockdown again from Aug. 6 to 20. Maybe that won’t even be the last time in this pandemic.

It will take a long time before we can have our old life back. However, the more disciplined we go through the constraints, the faster we can reach our goal. I prefer isolation under ECQ to treatment in an intensive care unit. Let us give local governments a chance to improve the situation with vaccinations, and allow hospitals and staff to arrange to be better prepared.

JÜRGEN SCHÖFER
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