While most people are happy with the relaxation, an exciting time is coming for hundreds of thousands of others. Vaccination is not effective for them. Anyone who is vulnerable should be even more careful after two stressful years, because without distancing rules and the mandatory mouth caps, the virus is one step closer. Protecting yourself and participating in society is and will remain virtually impossible for them for the time being.
“One and a half meters away, face masks and working from home were precisely three measures that you can use to protect vulnerable people in society,” says epidemiologist Alma Tostmann of Radboudumc. She understands that relaxation is being made, but not why these measures are being released now.
Many vulnerable people have been keeping themselves far from the outside world for some time. They avoid any risk of contamination. “Everyone has had a hard time during lockdowns, but for me those lockdowns never came to an end,” says 25-year-old Nadia Buiter. She suffers from three chronic diseases, which means that a corona infection can have far-reaching consequences for her.
Been in isolation for months
She avoids any risk by being in isolation since late last year. “But that cannot go on forever. As people from the risk groups, we cannot continue to close ourselves off from society. We have partners, children and colleagues. We cannot keep locking ourselves in the house.” She is also not much wiser from the government advice. “They are so general and extreme; we must above all avoid situations. Those advices show an incomprehension of our situation.”
Since the start of the pandemic, there are tips on the website of the central government for the elderly and people with vulnerable health. These are general advice such as “limit your contacts, also with children. Keep 1.5 meters away from them and do not shake hands”, “avoid crowds” and “you can wear a (medical) mouth cap as a precaution”.
–
