Life is a sexually transmitted disease. We only know that we are there, but we don’t know for how long. We don’t know what will become of us (“the future is uncertain”, Seneca wrote), except that one day we will die. In this sense, life is an “illness” closely linked to death. The moment we are born, we expose ourselves to risk, suffering and illness. Every day of life is a step towards death. It’s terrible but that’s how it is. We just don’t think about it. To live, in fact, is to die day after day. And Covid has sadly reminded us of this.
In that period we accepted crazy rules – staying at least one and a half meters away from each other, not hugging, greeting each other by touching our elbows – to safeguard our health. It was understandable at first. A mysterious disease that came from China was causing a crisis in our healthcare system and claiming victims, especially among the elderly and frail. We have suspended our freedom for safety. We wore masks even when we were alone on the street because it was necessary to “keep our guard up”. A sort of psychological weapon to remind us that the virus continued to spread. But today, when Covid is like the flu? Today it is still “alert”, as the newspapers write. And doctors return to proposing absurd rules. Filippo Anelli, president of the National Federation of Medical and Dental Orders (Fnomceo), states: “To avoid infections, it is better to avoid greetings with kisses and hugs, a widespread habit among Italians, especially in the South. Keep a little distance physical, in these cases, is not a sign of less affection but a gesture of attention towards oneself and others”. And again: “In very crowded places, using a mask is not a bad idea.” These are the same rules as three years ago, for a disease which, however, has changed profoundly and which has a very low mortality rate, equal to that of the flu.
One of the side effects of Covid (and there are quite a few) is that it has reawakened the hypochondria that dwells within us. We never worried about the flu. The old people got vaccinated, the young people took it, aware of the fact that they would have to put up with a few days of fever, some medicine and back pain. Now, however, there is the fear of catching the flu or any other disease. Even today there are people who walk the streets with masks and gloves because they fear being infected by who knows what disease. But they don’t live like that. Indeed, what is the point of being in the world if we cannot hug the people we love or if we have to stay away from them? What’s the point of seeing a friend, perhaps after a long time, and not being able to shake his hand? Or see the person you love without kissing them?
We try to remove the risk from everything because we fear that everything could kill us. But is not so. And, even if it were, it is better to die after having lived fully and not locked in the house. Death, unfortunately, exists. We can’t erase it. We can only choose how to live.
2023-12-08 10:35:00
#Covid #kisses #doctors #advice #mistakes
