Opinion | At first, I was unsure if lockdowns are a good idea. But now I'm convinced we'll come through for the better
. Weeping doctors and nurses who are no longer able to provide the right care to the dying. The 70-year-old doctor refusing treatment, because he has had to turn away so many patients who are the same age as he. That's what I wake up to.
It is a radical approach for a short period. We slow down the spread of the virus in order to gain time. Time to prepare. A standstill like this cannot be withstood by society, economically or politically for too long. The notion that we can just press the pause button until the virus goes away is naïve and dangerous.
But it doesn't have to be that way. We can come out of this situation stronger than when we went into it. World War II was followed by Germany's "Wirtschaftswunder." And after the second oil crisis from 1978 to 1980, investments in renewable energies grew enormously. The role of the media is also being tested. Taking personal risks, journalists are once again what they have not been for a long time. Our window to the world. Our filter to the truth. They have a huge responsibility. And I find that, all in all, they are living up to this responsibility impressively.
When the crisis has been overcome, life will no longer be the way it was before. The economic damage will be enormous. Entire industries might disappear or change completely. New booming sectors will emerge. We will work differently. Travel less. Perhaps be more caring to the environment. Show more respect to politicians who act responsibly and do not pander to populism. Our encounters with one another will be different. Perhaps we will be more grateful. We will have wild parties.
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