One should not be left wondering, or be left to lick ones fingers
THE VIRUS IS NOT WAITING
We need more determined action
As much as I have praised and appreciated Finland and finnish, I have to say this corona situation could have been better managed. The virus is now spreading in Finland worse than ever before. We have had record high readings in recent days and a large proportion of the cases are already the British variant (once we let it spread here as well). Two different Finnish variants have already been found here too. I can’t help but wonder about this activity and our bureaucratic system. What we should absolutely have is a law that allows for the immediate introduction of agreed exceptional circumstances, if necessary. Now it seems that there is none, so decisions are progressing slowly and it will take days, if not weeks, to prepare them before they take effect. In the meantime, the corona situation is advancing. That virus is not waiting for us.
Measures (or planning for them) should have started early fall, with the onset of the second wave. Instead, what did we do then? We waited, we waited … and we waited …the situation could have already been overcome, or at least with better care, if we had acted faster.
We should take lessons from Australia, where one new case of corona was recently found. After that, the curfew came into force there. That’s the way to handle this! That’s the way to make sure the situation does not get out of hand! We don’t have time to wait!
the rate of vaccination is too slow
Nor have I been satisfied with our pace of vaccination (although I found an article that says we are ranked number one with Denmark (in Europe, I think). https://www.talouselama.fi/uutiset/laaketeollisuus-ylelle-suomi-on-jaetulla-ensimmaisella-sijalla-tanskan-kanssa/76349747-8ab1-4441-a1d5-11ae544e688f)…but then again Lasse Lehtonen at Helsinki University Hospital HUS have said that if we continue at this pace, vaccine protection (70%) has not been achieved until the autumn of 2022. This was really crushing news and I think it is closer to the truth. Why in the world are we not negotiating a Sputnik vaccine with Russia if once through the EU we do not get vaccines fast enough. One should not be left wondering, or be left to lick ones fingers. Oh, but we can’t place orders past the EU…except that other countries have done that…This is no longer the small, safe Finland I was born in. That’s sad!
obsessive compulsive symptoms and mental health problems
I do not understand either how we have still not achieved, for example, a mask compulsion. Well, like I said the decision-making process is far too long here but there have been lot of time. This situation has continued for a year. Would think a year is enough to bring such an important law into force! However, it was decided to close the restaurants finally (after much deliberation)…but I’m afraid it’s too late already…
I also feel bad to watch TV shows (like Talent) where the audience sits fabric masks on their faces, side by side. Why are there no safety distances and / or better masks? After all, a fabric mask provides only 20% protection. No wonder the virus is spreading.
If I survive without a corona, mental health will go anyway, at least if this situation continues like this for a long time. I am already suffering from some degree of obsessive compulsive symptoms (such as the constant compelling need to wash hands). At least this doesn’t get any better. If you want to find something good about this, then it is this: I no longer tear my lips! It’s been my bad habit but now during the corona I have ended it because I don’t want to touch my lips (not even at home). Some say it’s hard not to touch their faces but to me it has gone firmly into the depths of consciousness. I don’t even do it by accident, especially outdoors…
in the grocery store … again
I would no longer want to go anywhere, not even to the grocery store. Last time I ordered food home, but still had to get nicotine (for my spouce), and at the same time I bought masks, a couple of beers, vitamin d, paper and chocolate (-there is always use for these-).
In Finland nicotine and beer cannot be ordered to home (don’t ask me why). So I went to the grocery store. I put another scarf on top of the mask for extra protection. Firstly I wondered why there were so much traffic on in the stairwell on monday morning before nine (I always try to leave so that there are no others in the staircase at the same time -and many in finland strive for it even before the corona…However, I was mainly afraid of the virus.) Anyway, there were someone in the staircase. When I saw him waiting for the elevator, I left myself to the staircase waiting for him to leave. I wondered if I was looking like some freak…
Well, I left and noticed soon that wasn’t like most monday mornings are: peacefull and quite nice. There were people much more than usually and that made me nervous! Again, there were coughers on the move. Just before I went to the store, someone came in front of the door to make a call and while I was wondered should I walk past her to store and decided to do that, she -ofcource- coughed in front of me. (Should have circled the other side and entered through it). Well, there were maybe 5 meters between us but now there’s those variants, I’m more skeptical is it enough.
Anyway, there were more people in the store than usual (taking into account the time). I was as fast as I could and went to checkout. Of course some construction worker came right after me. Usually I try to get around the construction workers from afar (they have been diagnosed with a lot of infections) but naturally I couldn’t do it on checkout line. He also received a call. I turned in the opposite direction so that I don’t get drops on my face at least. Luckily he didn’t talk a long time and then I had to pay my shopping…When I came back home I realized the reason of the traffic. I saw a moving van in front of our house…
Well, there is no choice but to try to somehow cope…
As Dave Lindholm sings in his song, ”How the Night Went Away”
”endure this night, then you will endure tomorrow and the day after tomorrow”
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