Corona, corona, corona

Corona is ramping up again and this time around Denmark is "the bad boy" of Scandinavian countries. Number of newly infected per day in the last two weeks started from a bit above 400 per day, then it went to a bit above 500 per day and last weekend it went to above 600 per day. Sweden is currently doing better even though their total corona death count since it all started is still a lot higher. I wonder would party-Danes be deserving of the same welcome these days in Sweden, as party-Swedes were shortly after the lockdowns started?

With corona party ramping up, corona measures started ramping up as well, with an increasing number of them having no to little sense. I need to be fair and say that one did make sense. Use of face-masks is now necessary in all public transport and that one did make commuting easier. Before face-masks were obligatory one had to make a seat reservation for every train ride. That was causing a lot of problems in daily commute because sometimes you just couldn't get the seat reservation in the next hour. I was kicked out of the train at least once because I couldn't get a seat reservation and I had no plans of waiting for more then an hour.

But at this point reason goes on holiday. As the number of newly infected started to ramp up it was clear that new measures are on the way but boy were we in for a surprise with the brilliance of the new measures.

Sneezing in restaurants and Copenhagen night life

After bombastic announcements of the looming Prime Ministers press conference everybody was on the edges of their seats and then she said that... night life in Copenhagen is problematic and that it needs to be controlled. In order to do that restaurants, cafe bars, night clubs and bodegas must close down at 22 in the evening and not at 2 in the morning as it used to be. Another measure implemented is the usage of face-masks in restaurants, cafe bars and bodegas. Face-masks need to be used only while standing. Once you sit down, you can take the face-mask off. Let's say that a person has corona but he is asymptomatic. That person will still be able to spread corona in the restaurant since he still can sneeze, cough and spit unobstructed after he sits down.

Second brilliant measure is the suggestion how to limit socializing. The suggestion is to cherry pick 10 people with whom you want to socialize and restrain yourself from seeing anyone else all they way up to next spring because winter is coming immune systems are going down and corona will be extra successful while spreading so we need to limit it. Makes sense right?

Well not quite because by that count nobody could socialize outside of work or education with anyone all the way until the next spring. Luci would use up her quota on her co-workers and I use up my quota on my fellow language school students. So, if we want to be corona-responsible we should not socialize with anyone until next spring.

Honorable mention from Croatia: keep the music down and play Vivaldi

Croatian crisis headquarters - a temporary body in charge of implementing all the corona measures came up with a new creative measures to keep the spread of the virus. They are suggesting to keep the music down. When you lower the loudness of music people have less need to be very close to the person they are talking to. So in essence, the quieter the music, the better social distancing is. But that is not the only brilliant conclusion they have reached. They have also issued the list of "corona songs". So allegedly some songs are better to play if we want to keep the virus from spreading and of course that all the songs on that list are classical music pieces. I love classical music and listen to it often but I just don't see who will play Vivaldi in a cafe bar or a night club.

As I said before when I was writing on corona. I am in no doubt that the virus is here, that the precautions are necessary and that we need to make adjustment in our everyday lives. But these measures are just ridiculous. To me it looks like the countries are implementing them just because they need to do something since it is getting worse but they are not sure what. On the other hand, countries are unwilling to go back to the full quarantine mode because it is too disruptive to the modern way of life. But there still are simple measures that could work: implement obligatory usage of face-masks in all closed public spaces, everybody who can work from home, should work from home, switch all education online. I do not understand why something like this couldn't work? I assume there are smarter people then me making those decisions. Hopefully I will continue to enjoy my Vivaldi at home only.

Life worth living

Yesterday, for the first time since the middle of March we had two of our friends over. It was beautiful! Having a normal conversation with real humans, after almost 2 months without gloves, masks and other corona safe talking equipment. It felt a bit like having unprotected sex. It was refreshing.

In the last two weeks I sank hard. Up until then I was doing really well. At the beginning I was like, ok this is going to be like a little vacations because some stuff that I was doing dropped, so I suddenly got a lot more free time. I was and still am going to work and that made me happy and it gave me some sense of security in these insecure times when people are getting fired left and right, hell I even got a raise.

I created new routines for myself. I never had problems with self-control. One of them was to continue working on my danish while the school is corona-out. And I was doing great until approximately the beginning of May and then I crashed.

The crash was triggered by a life event of one person close to me, that started me on a train of thought about life about aspirations in life and about what kind of a life is a happy life or a life worth living.

While I acknowledge that I should be happy with the fact that I am working and working on a job that doesn't make me unhappy or frustrated. That gives me a lot of free time and opportunities to pursue my interests. This corona-lock down makes all these perks of my job void. I can't go to vacation because I can't leave the country, I can't go to language school because it is closed, I can't attend festivals because they are cancelled. Hanging out with people is still severely limited because of the ban on gathering of 10+ and some people are still afraid of doing things and activities they would normally be doing. So my life is currently work, nap, danish, World of Warcraft and repeat. For how long, who knows... next year and a half maybe?

I never had and never will have that danish click in me that makes work an important part of my identity and I realized that during the time I had my dream job. The realization came on a day when I figured what the days look like for my boss. He wakes up at 5, works on some of his papers, goes to the office, stays there until either 13 or 15, depending whether he has a meeting or not. After that he goes home, spends two to three hours with his family, goes back to his study and works on his papers until 21 and of to bed. My first thought at that point was, man don't you have a life after work, what do you do when you are not working? That moment was the realization for me that while I may love my job at the time, it is still just a job. It is something that you do in order to finance living. Living is currently suspended. It boils down to work and staying at home doing... whatever you can do at home.

There is nothing for me to do except go to work, practice danish and play World of Warcraft. While it was fun when it started, for me it just isn't enough. I need to do and experience things that are not work related in order to be happy and currently that just isn't possible. I wonder how many people feels the same way?

Loneliness

Stand together by being apart. That is the promotional statement by which Denmark is trying to promote social distancing. But the more time passes the more skeptical I am becoming about how long can that actually be upheld. Because it is going against one fundamental human instinct and that is sociability. We are social animals and that is a fact. If you look back way into the past, way back before modern society, early civilizations, even before agriculture, humans lived in small groups with up to approximately 150 people. So, I guess it is safe to say, metaphorically, that being social is written into our DNA. And today we are being asked not to do it. Today, when we took our social instincts to unprecedented levels, where approximately 55% of human population lives in cities we are asked not to hang out with others. The reasons are completely justified, I do not doubt that for a second. I am just wondering how long we can keep it up? Asking people to do social distancing is not so far away from asking a fish not to swim.

This line of thought started yesterday when my girlfriends sister dropped by. It was the first human I have seen, other then my girlfriend in weeks, if I don't count work and public transport. And I can feel that it is getting to me and my social needs are low. I am an introvert who is perfectly happy with socializing one or two times per week, three times is pushing it and four times is too much. If I am starting to feel it, I can only imagine how difficult it must be for people with higher social needs than mine. Yesterday I talked to a friend who has higher social needs than I do. He told me that when it gets to him, he goes to company offices to have a cup of coffee, but that just gets the edge off. He is having a hard time not hanging out with people.

At least gamers have it easier. We know there are social spaces that are perfectly safe and quarantine approved, where we can be social and where we can play in big groups without breaching the quarantine. I do find it a bit ironic. Until my mid twenties, I would often hear from non gamers: how can you do it, you are just staring in that screen all day, you are wasting your life away etc, etc. Do I need to mention that most of the people at that time were watching television in the same amount I spent gaming? Well, now I am the responsible citizen. So, if you want to hang out with me and be socially responsible, you can find me on Azeroth.

I made a little digression... Let us go back to "real" socializing. How long can you ask born socialites not to socialize? I would say not much longer. And you can slowly tell. Last Friday when I went out to throw the trash, main street in Roskilde was decently full of people. There wasn't as many of them as before the quarantine times but noticeably more. Weather is beautiful, quarantine is up for some time now, of course that people started to slowly give up on it. They just can't take it any more. And people from Scandinavia are good at following rules and regulations and they trust in their governments. So when they are slowly starting to give in, you know it has been a bit too long.

But as societies slowly start to reopen, one problem will still remain, at least in Denmark. Ban on public gatherings for 10 or more people will stay at least until August. So we will be able to see our friends and family but all fun will be put on hold. So we will be able to work and be home and see people one by one but no fun? How long will that last? We are not machines that can just work, work, work. Even Danes need recreational activities from time to time. Their amazing working ethics is necessarily standing in stark contrast to hygge. They will kill themselves working but when they are of, they are off. With a ban on public gatherings way into August will severely restrict their possibilities to be off. In the old Rome it was known that if you want to win public approval you need to provide bread and circus "Panem et circenses". By the time this whole corona thing is over, a lot of people will lose their bread and circuses will remain closed until further notice. We do not have a lot to look forward to, until the end of summer. Work if you are lucky and... nothing, no fun until corona is done and dusted and that can take a while.

Use the elbow

Train rides during quarantine. At the beginning it was a bit spooky. In the course of 5 days, train that starts in Roskilde at 7:40 in the morning, went from completely packed to completely empty. So empty that one day last week there were only two of us that got of the train at Copenhagen central station. On a usual day it takes a couple of minutes for all the people to get of the train.
 

What I find interesting is that the few people who ride the train are acting differently - and I don't mean quarantine differently -  I mean, differently. On an average train ride, bike compartment is full and everybody is absorbed in their own business. Be it smartphone, book, laptop, telephone. Interaction with other people is non existent and communication is reduced to essentials only. That includes people with bikes when they need to park their bikes one on top of the other. At these moments will a person that parks her bike on top of the first one ask "Where are you getting of?" Other than that, it is non-existent. People don't even look at you. That's it! In the train, full of people, that is all the communication you will get.
 

Since the quarantine started, other passengers became much more welcoming. One day I noticed that the people who were in the wagon with me, from time to time would throw me a quick glance and gave me a warm smile. I was completely taken aback with it. I was just doing my train ride, Danish style, reading a book and I started getting glances. When I got home, I consulted with my domestic expert on Danish behavior. She said that what most likely happened is that Danes started to feel solidarity. It is quarantine times and not a lot of people is using the trains. Those few that do, started to develop the notion"we are in this together". I must say, I totally didn't see that one coming because for me it was just another train ride. Plus, it's not like I am seeing people often in the train, on most days I am the only person in the wagon.
 

But one time, when I had a fellow passenger, it was pure gold. I was going home from work. When I entered my bike section, there was an elderly lady inside with her bitchin' electric bike. She was also in great shape, you could see that she is exercising a lot. It became apparent very early into the train ride that she isn't an experienced train rider. When the lady that is checking tickets came, they got into a long discussion about the old lady's ticket. The conductor had a lot of work with explaining to her, how it is working. When that event was over, I heard her talking on the phone, reporting that she is in the train and that she will soon be in Roskilde. Plus she had that vibe around her that was screaming, "OMG I AM SOOO EXCITED WITH THIS TRAIN RIDE!!!!" I am not sure was it because she is usually inexperienced with train rides, or is this train ride extra exciting because it is a corona train ride.
 

The train went past Trekkroner, which means that we will be in Roskilde in about 5 minutes. She got up immediately as the train left the station and started to get ready for disembarking. She corrected her bike clothes and gloves, took her bike and stood in front of the doors ready to jump out. But in these corona times it is not so easy to get of the train, as she is about to find out.
 

When the train stops, if you want the doors to open, you need to press a button. That is something that people usually do with fingers but now a days there is the instruction to use the elbow. The train is passing next to the graveyard and our train ride hero is at a ready. She is at the door with her palm on the shoulder and elbow sticking out ready to lunge for the button at the split second the train stops. The train is entering the station, she is all arched towards the door so the elbow can hover just a few inches from the button. When the train stops she is in the perfect position to jump the button... or elbow it and get off the train.
 

The moment came. The train stopped. The button is ready to be pressed. She lunges for it, as the bike was in the way, her arched out body and the hovering elbow were still a bit too far so she raised herself on her toes, closed the elbow gap and smashed the button AND... nothing, the doors are still closed, but now she is standing normally. Doesn't matter, elbow at a ready, arch forward, raise on the toes and smash the button triumphantly for the second time AND nothing. Disappointment and disbelief started to creep in. The train is on the station for full ten seconds and she is still on it. No matter, this little bump will not prevent her. She notices another button on her right hand side and decides that is the one button to open the doors. She is ready again, elbow, arch, toes, smash, nothing, smash, nothing. Despair, full twenty seconds passed, she elbowed two buttons, four times and she is still in the train. Desperate times require desperate measures. She goes for it again, but this time with a clenched fist. She will smash the button with a fist, with the cykeling glove so she doesn't touch the corona train button with her unprotected finger. BUM! Nothing, the doors are still closed and by this time the whole eternity passed. She is disheartened by now. You can see she is giving up. Slowly you can see the fist relaxes, naked thump rears out its finger nail and gently goes for the button... and the button abides. Hiss of air flies through the wagon and our brave hero is finally free. The fight was long and hard and she gave her best, but failed. At least she will disembark in Roskilde and live to see another day with her coronated finger.

For our own benefit

Corona crisis shows just how fragile our modern day democracy and economy is, since it can be severely disrupted by a simple virus. Since it started countries slowly implemented limitations in many areas of our lives, for our own benefit. When corona struck Italy, within a week, most of European countries closed the borders, making traveling almost impossible, except in case of emergencies.

Freedom of movement within the countries became severely restricted as well as quarantine measures have kicked into effect. Public and state institutions closed down, most of the stores closed, people instructed to work from home if possible. Almost everything that isn't necessary for the minimal function of the society was put on hold, for our own benefit. Corona virus is here and we need to cut the lines of transmission, so we can put a stop to it.

Currently a lot of European countries declared emergency situation which means that the governments are ruling by the decree and have no real opposition because all are united in the goal of fighting the virus. That way, making decisions is a lot faster and more efficient, which is needed in these days if we want to put a end to the pandemic. Putting the democracy on pause isn't something the governments did willingly or lightly but they did it for our own benefit.

Sports events canceled, any form of public events canceled, like festivals, markets, conferences, religious ceremonies. All public protests are canceled and banned because we need to stop the virus from spreading, remember it is all for our own benefit.

The measures I have listed are pretty much standard measure implemented across Europe to fight the corona-virus from spreading. Some measures are unique for certain countries.

Serbia implemented a curfew, from 17 in the afternoon to morning and from Friday evening to Monday morning. Dog owners can go out for a walk with their dogs only between 23 o'clock in the evening and 1 o'clock in the morning.

Croatia banned commuting outside the place of residence, which is a direct breach of the Croatian constitution.

Hungary implemented a law that states that the quarantine can be lifted only with 2/3 majority vote in parliament which basically translates into, if Victor Orban doesn't wont the quarantine lifted it won't be lifted.

Denmark implemented a law by which they can take away private property from its owner if it is needed to fight of the corona crisis and they executed it. They have seized private hospitals in order to get access to their medical equipment. They also made it possible to ban gatherings of 2 or more people if needed, because Danish minister of health noticed that people have been naughty with upholding the quarantine. Danish state may be forced to put it into effect, for our own benefit.

Soon after the pandemic started WHO asked big international IT companies to help them out in a fight against misinformation about the Corona virus, so they started to filter out misinformation on the virus, for our own benefit.

I do not try to bring into question the reality or the severity of the Corona crisis, the world is fighting a pandemic and measures need to be taken. What is worrying is the ease with which human rights, modern democracy and economy are all being put on pause during the time of the pandemic. What is also worrying how everybody is calling for the restrictions to be put into place. There is one European country that is trying to fight of the virus without infringing on human rights and democracy and they are being criticized that they are not doing enough or that they are not taking the pandemic seriously enough. The country in question is Sweden.

What other measures that infringe on our rights will be implemented, for our own benefit? Will the countries also help WHO in the fight against the spread of misinformation by censoring the private media, for our own benefit?

Will we end up locked up in our apartments because we took a walk? Croatia is on a good trajectory, even now the police is chasing people back to their apartments if they see them on the streets?

Will kissing, hugging or any other form of close human contact become illegal and not just advised against?

If you think I am blowing everything out of proportions, think about what your life looked like 8 moths ago and ask yourself: did you expect it to look like this today?

If 2 years go by and you wake up one morning in April 2022 with your doors sealed shut, government officials bringing you food, after you haven't seen anyone for 6 months, just tell yourself that all the baby steps that led to this situation, that all made sense when they were brought into effect in order to fight the virus, were all implemented for our own benefit.

Closing the borders by keeping them open

Danish prime minister yesterday, 30th March, had a press-conference. She announced that businesses should start making plans for reopening. The plan, for now, is to slowly start reopening society after 13th of April. I will remain skeptical until it actually happens since I got different information from different countries. When quarantine started in Germany, their government said it will last until approximately middle of June. In Italy approximately until the end of July.

But there was one funny, real life news closely related to corona crisis. When it started, in order to prevent/reduce the spread of the virus, Denmark decided to close down its borders. When danish prime minister announced that, I understood there will be no flights in or outside Denmark, no ferry lines going in or out of Denmark and that the police will stop you and ask you to turn around if you try to drive out of Denmark because the borders are closed. Little did I know how far away from the truth I was. When Denmark closed its borders they actually kept them wide open because they are closed. And no, you didn't read this wrong, that is how it is when it comes to closing down the land border.

Three Danish citizens got stuck in Brazil when European countries started putting up quarantines. Somehow they managed to board a plane to Germany. From there they started on their way to Denmark. They wanted at least try and return home, since they knew that the borders were closed. When they reached the border between Germany and Denmark, they were in for a surprise. Nobody was there! Ramps were down but that was it. Since they had no other intentions but to go back home they were looking around and trying to find someone to check them in but, no one was there. They were also looking for any contact number so they could call the police but they couldn't find any either. After some time they gave up, made a video of their little adventure and just walked into the country without anyone noticing. This is how it looked like: https://nyheder.tv2.dk/lokalt/2020-03-27-kaldte-forgaeves-efter-graensevagter-og-endte-med-bare-at-gaa-over-graenserne?fbclid=IwAR06GgUjnJSBhBKVq3qJGGqp-gWnzjg9T2gXMmzs4L3w5adA62v_yuPFutg

After their story and video got into the news, police released the official statement. They basically said that since the lock-down began they decided to withdraw personnel from all border crossings except three, where they are still controlling heavy traffic and any other necessary traffic to and from Germany. All other border crossings are 'closed' and patrolled by one vehicle. After all, when the country closes down its borders and announces it, you would expect that people wouldn't even try to enter since the borders are closed. I must say that I naively thought that closing down the borders always meant that people who try to enter the country are turned away by the police, but little did I know.

I must say that this story came as a welcome comic relief from the whole corona crisis. Finding news that are not related to the corona crisis is next to impossible. It seems that the number of newly infected people started to drop slowly, at least in the last two days. Let us hope it continues that way. Three weeks down, who knows how many more to go - introvert heaven at its finest.

Spring is cancelled

Spring in Denmark is officially cancelled. Danish prime minister had a press conference yesterday, March 23rd, and said that quarantine measures inside the country are being prolonged until 13th of April at least. Borders are closed until the same date. Just as a reminder quarantine measures mean that: all educational institutions and public institutions are closed down. All stores but grocery stores and clothes stores are closed down. All restaurants, cafe bars and bodegas (Danish version of pubs) are closed down. All public gatherings with more than 10 people are prohibited - and every body should maintain social distance. As she funnily pointed out, "lets stand together by being apart". That means that spring is officially cancelled in Denmark, which is, trust me a very serious thing. When sun finally comes out, it is an event that you want to enjoy, because there was basically no sun from the beginning of September to last week. That is a bit difficult to bear. And now when it is finally here, almost nobody can enjoy it. And again I feel blessed because I can still go to work so I can legally - and without guilty conscience - enjoy it.

On March 24th a new and interesting development in the fight against corona virus happened. Denmark seized private hospitals in order to get access to their equipment so it can fight better against the virus. And did it legally too. As corona-crisis was ramping up, Denmark prepared a whole set of laws that enables it to temporarily seize property during an emergency situation and even to enter peoples homes without a legitimate warrant, which is currently in effect(they didn't go through with this one). I can't shake the feeling that this act was totally uncalled for. What is as clear as daylight, is that everyone in Denmark is 100% on board to fight the corona virus. At the moment I heard the news, I thought that private hospitals would help the state in the fight against the corona virus if they just asked for it. And my hunch was spot on. A spokesperson from one of the private hospitals said that they would enable access to all their equipment within a day if Denmark reached out for their help. And now Denmark potentially brought into danger, patients from the private hospitals because all scheduled treatments had to be delayed. I am sorry, but this is just a knee jerking reaction that was completely uncalled for.

Plus it seems that Europe could do much better in the fight against the corona virus. A renown virologist, Bruce Aylard said, that the way to go is to is to trace and isolate people that got infected and then trace, test and potentially isolate their close relations. Which is the thing that South Korea did without stopping the societies and performing a murder of their economy. Fortunately, on March 25th first news started coming that Denmark will go on that route. How soon, we will see.

To change the topic and the country a bit. Amid the corona crisis lock-down, on Sunday 22nd of March Zagreb was hit by an earthquake of the magnitude 5.5 degrees on the Richter scale. City center got a serious beating, though not as bad as the earthquake from 1880. Newer buildings were undamaged, fortunately. In the aftermath of the earthquake authorities found one fatality. Needles to say that the quarantine was breached during this time. Which is totally understandable. When you have a choice between a building landing on your head or potentially contracting a virus that may kill you, of course you will go for the virus. The threat from the virus is not imminent. The city continued to shake for the next couple of days, which is common after a big earthquake but fortunately the chances for another big earthquake are very low.


The way it started, who knows what else does the 2020 have in store for us - first contact maybe?

Corona crisis week 2

Today I feel uncomfortable raiding in the train. I boarded a train in 7:33 and it is empty. There is just one more person in the part of the train for bikes, it's a bit creepy. Usually the trains between 7 and 8 are packed! Sometimes you are even forced to stand in the doorway because there is no room anywhere else. That used to be annoying but now I wish if it went back to that. Copenhagen is empty as well. When the train drops me of in Copenhagen a bit before 8 the streets are usually packed with cars and cyclist, buses and s-trains are full (light railway) but now the city looks abandoned. The only change is the children. Since the schools closed down on Monday there is a significantly higher number of children on the streets of Copenhagen. And that kind of defies the purpose of the quarantine and I am not the only one that noticed it. A number of people started warning other that they should have better control of their children.
 

I must say that I am not handling well this worldwide panic state. I read about the virus, I am aware of risks, I am aware of precautionary measures I should take, it is fine. But what really rubs me of in a bad way is that there is a constant pressure about it. You can't snoop around the Facebook or Internet without every search having something to do with the crisis. Wherever you look there is only COVID-19, like nothing else is going on in the world but COVID-19.
 

Considering that stock markets are in the free fall, that mass firings have slowly started, for now in hotels and airline companies I feel lucky that I can still go to work normally. From 10:00 on March 18th all cafe bars, restaurants, pubs and all stores but grocery stores must close down. How long will that last, I don't know... nobody does. My friend from Germany told me that their government informed them that they can expect that quarantine measure will be in effect until approximately mid of October, so I guess we can expect the same. I read the other day that in Hong Kong people are under strict house quarantines that lasts for two months and will most likely go for another month. And I guess, this uncertainty about almost everything is the thing that has everyone worried.

For how long will the world stand still? After it passes, how many people world wide will be left without their livelihood? Will it all be worth it to fight against the disease that is dangerous only to elderly people and people who are immune compromised? To avoid potential criticism, numbers say that no children died from COVID-19. Death rates for people aged 10-39 are 0.2%, age 40-49 are 0.4%, age 50-59 are 1.3%. For older people it becomes seriously dangerous. Was it possible to somehow protect part of the population that is at high risk without stopping the whole societies? I don't know, I am not smart enough, I am just curious and asking questions. It seems that the countries which wanted to implement only precautionary measures, without implementing quarantine rules are getting backlash from the public.

22.03.2020

Denmark - 1395 corona virus cases, 13 deaths, 1 recovery

Croatia - 254 corona virus cases, 1 death, 5 recoveries

Source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

Now is the time to panic and freak out

In the last couple of weeks the whole world is united in a panic caused by the Coronavirus. First confirmed case of Coronavirus in Denmark was on 27th February. A man from Roskilde returned from his skiing trip in northern Italy. From that day on, every day, there has been reports about new cases. But life went on - more or less uninterrupted - until last Wednesday. On Wednesday, 11th of March, Denmark issued a warning for people who plan to travel outside of the country. But it was just a call for taking precausionary measures if people are traveling to countries with some reported cases of the virus. On the next day, 12th of March Denmark decided to shut down all public institutions and educational institutions from Monday the 16th of March - and has issued a recommendation to people to stay and work from home, if they can. At the same time there was a press release for people not to panic and to stay home if they can. Yesterday on March 14th Denmark decided to close all borders for at least a month, with the exception of heavy traffic. Also, all non essentials stores will be closed off from Monday 16th of March with the exceptions of supermarkets and drug stores.

Of course the panic started on Thursday 12th March. How will people not start to panic when the country is basically shuting down!? It is a clear sign of an extraordinary situation and that things from now on will not run as intended. That was the message that Danish government sent with the decision to close all public institutions. People will not wait until Monday to start panicking, they will start panicking immediately. 

And it has been/still is quite a panic indeed. People started hoarding hand dezinfection gel, toilet paper, meat and vegetables. Despite the calls from supermarkets and the goverment that there is no need for hoarding, that the supply lines will be open and the stores will keep working and as long as people continue shopping as they usually do, nobody will be hungry and all assess will be clean. It didn't help. Videos of people fighting in the stores, empty shelves in the supermarkets, reports of thefts of face masks and hand disinfectants from hospitals... At the same time the financial sector, labour unions and employer organizations started preparing for the economy grinding to a halt. So yea, bussiness as usuall... not.

But that is only the beginning. There is still a lot of unknowns... How hard will the economy be hit, how long will it last, how many companies will go bust and how many people will lose their jobs? There is also the question: how does a nation of workaholics handle a lockdown? How will people identified by working handle not working? Yesterday I saw a serious article written by a couple therapist with tips for couples on how to handle the coronacrisis. Because, imagine, people will have to spend a lot of time together and with their children. The sad thing is that they don't know how to, because they are used to spending a bit of time together in between work and all the other obligations that they have while children are taken care of by the professionals. At least it seems so, if it is necessary for the couple therapist giving instructions on how to handle your partner and kids when you are all trapped under the same roof. The horror!

It is interesting times we live in and maybe coronacrisis will bring some longterm benefits with it. Maybe it will remind some of us how to just be with our loved ones, how to define ourselves with something that does not include work. Maybe it will also remind us how fragile our whole modern lifestyle is, if you consider that it is threatened by a simple virus that is a bit more dangerous than a flu.