I was just having a look at the number of covid cases in Germany. Last year, I did this almost religiously, and almost every day. Pretty much all my decision making was based on it at the time. With numbers drastically reducing over summer, and many people around me getting vaccinated, there was a glimmer of hope. There seemed to be no need to check everything so often. Eventually, I even forgot checking the daily numbers entirely. After my parental leave, when I started working again, last October, I also started checking cases again. Not as religiously as before, but, well, I think it’s good to know the statistics, so you can place things in perspective.
For a while, the shit has been hitting the fan again. Obviously, not just in Germany, the shit is everywhere. Roughly 75.000 cases per day. This is roughly three times the numbers we had last year around this time. It’s quite bizarre. But no one seems all too worried. People are growing fucking numb to this virus. Me too. I’m looking at these numbers, and I’m thinking. 75.000. Okay. It doesn’t mean shit anymore. The winter is going to get a lot worse…
In the meantime, we’re doing what we can to protect ourselves. Next week, I’m getting my booster vaccine. Our son gets tested three times a week. That way he can go to daycare. For his own good, and for ours. We also test often, and try to limit our supermarket shopping. We’ve been looking into grocery delivery options, and since this week we will receive a weekly box of fresh groceries. To be honest, I don’t need to be in shops so desperately, at the moment. I’m also back in home office, and spend only one or two days in the office for administrative purposes. Christmas is around the corner, and we have already taken the decision not to visit friends and family in the Netherlands. We will save the opportunity for spring, when, hopefully, numbers may go down. I miss friends and family, but it’s too many people. I have vaccine deniers that refuse self tests in my close family. However badly I need to see them, I really don’t need to see them now. Not like this.
It seems that we will spend the holidays locked up inside our apartment, just like last year. We’ll come up with nice things to do. I hope we’ll get some snow.
Some fun suggestions anyone?
Robin Heinen 