Dietrich Groenemeyer: «Life Is More – Than Corona»

Dietrich Groenemeyer writes in an exclusive essay for finews.first that a fixation on prohibitions and existential restrictions will not succeed in putting an end to the Coronavirus.

This article is published on finews.first, a forum for authors specialized in economic and financial topics.

Everything revolves around Corona, in the media, in politics, in business, and not least at home, within one's own four walls. On the one hand, this is understandable. Everyone is exposed to the threat of an ambush from this virus. And no one can say how they will fare once they have been infected. All true!

And still: Life is more, also in times of the pandemic. The more the preoccupation with one thing displaces other issues of our existence, the more our understanding of the bigger picture narrows. Growing fears take the air out of hope. Bad news all day long. No society can withstand that in the long run. It takes away the strength it needs to cope with the danger.

«Intimidation does not give courage»

Fixating on prohibitions and existential restrictions will not succeed in putting an end to the Coronavirus. As necessary as compulsory masks, quarantine and contact restrictions, the closure of restaurants, theaters and museums may be at the moment, if our thoughts only revolve around the imposition of these measures, the rising infection figures will have a paralyzing effect.

Resignation follows on the heels of political and media-fueled crisis communication. A growing risk that cannot be taken seriously enough. Intimidation does not give courage. It only obscures the view of the diversity of life, of all that could help to strengthen the resilience of society and of each individual, because it conveys a feeling of security, joy defying everything.

No, this does not mean underestimating the seriousness of the situation. And yes, Covid-19 is one of the greatest challenges that nature has presented us within recent decades.

«Countries and the global economy will not be able to afford further frantically proclaimed lockdowns»

What we lack above all, especially these days, is the education of the global population that is as comprehensive as it is matter-of-factly about prevention from viruses and bacteria, as well as immune-boosting. Also, the handling of Corona-infected persons in families and enterprises or during quarantine as well as the early recognition of the danger by means of rapid testing procedures such as antigen tests or the new spit tests.

This would help to prevent general lockdowns to a large extent and allow for localized quarantine measures. We should no longer be as surprised as we are at present by new pathogens or waves of infection.

Countries and the global economy will not be able to afford further frantically proclaimed lockdowns. After all, they will destroy vast sums of money and products on which medicine, not least, depends in order to be able to help people in need. Not to speak of the psychological and social consequences of any shutdown of economic and public life.

«As a doctor, I wouldn't buy that»

Since I do not know the future, I cannot say anything about it. Only politicians, it sometimes seems to me, have mastered this demagogic squaring of the circle when they promise, for example, that within a few months an entire nation will have been vaccinated and all people made immune.

As a doctor, I wouldn't buy that; people expect him to make statements that have substance. The medicine we prescribe must be deliverable. For me, this means that I can only go on the basis of what I know and not disseminate what I wish for or what seems suitable for rhetorically immobilizing people. Only the status quo I know actually!

We do not have to reinvent the «wheel». First of all, the pharmacy of worldwide naturopathy is so full of therapeutics that we can help ourselves to them for a long time – especially preventively – and do not always have to ask for something new, which is not to say anything against the necessity of medical research. Its successes speak for themselves.

«We have no shortage of the necessary technology»

Besides, times change continuously, sometimes happily, sometimes threateningly, as in the Corona crisis. Children have completely different experiences than they did a few years ago. Medicine is not a closed chapter. It never will be. It has been moving with the times for thousands of years. New findings are constantly being added. Pandemics such as the plague, Ebola or SARS have been defeated, smallpox destroyed!

It is already becoming apparent that we will only be able to defeat the Corona pandemic if we harness all the digital possibilities in addition to the purely medical ones – from smart AI-driven apps to meaningful tracking systems.

The development of rapid antigen and antibody tests and Corona vaccines has shown the scientific capacities we have in Europe internationally and the competence and speed with which the digital networking of researchers and developers leads to top-class results. We have no shortage of the necessary technology, no shortage of excellent researchers, and no shortage of investors who are committed to new things because they are convinced of the benefits before they think of the profits.

«For far too long we have suppressed the fact that nature is not always predictable»

However, the best drug is no good if no thought is given from the outset to how it can be brought to women, children or men, and patients are not only informed about its effects but also about its side effects. And these include the psychological, social, societal and economic side effects of an unavoidable lockdown, the success of which is still a long time coming.

Mankind would be prepared for the future if the following ten essential measures would be taken into account digitally from now on:

• 1. medical education
• 2. digital medical history
• 3. rapid antigen testing
• 4. antibody testing
• 5. vaccination
• 6. digital tracking
• 7. strengthening of the physical and psychological immune system
• 8. antibody tracking,
• 9. health education
• 10. hygiene standards

We should no longer allow ourselves to be mentally banished by the crisis; instead, we should once again focus on the big picture. For far too long we have suppressed the fact that nature is not always predictable, that risks and also death are part of life. If we would allow the thought again, we could draw new courage and resilience from it.

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