March 2nd, 2022
Started in February 2020, the SAJO blog is providing a thread through the pandemic with up-to-date information and suggestions around SARS-CoV-2.
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Dear readers,
Starting last week, Germany has taken first place of the world ranking in two topics.
Topic No. 1: Russia is attacking the Ukraine
February 24 was a peculiar day. Not only was it the German “Weiberfastnacht” (a special carnival rite), it was a sad and gloomy day.
The first news that reached us were about the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, in an all-out attack from three sides. This was our start into the day. This is unbelievably sad. On 8 o’clock in the morning EU emissaries were holding an endless meeting without any obvious results. What a defeat. Germany for reasons of self-serving interests was indirectly siding with Russia. Just as with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the EU showed a lack of interest in human lives when calculating economic impacts. The few helmets, the German Defense Minister sent to the Ukraine were a shameful confession of failure.
One thing must be clear now. The Russian president will, after first attacking the Crimea, now followed by the Ukraine as a whole, go on to attack further countries. He will not stop at NATO borders. The Chinese president Xi is looking at Taiwan, while watching closely how the West is reacting on the Ukraine crisis. Up to now, the EU has acted weakly, just watching. Putin’s bank accounts in the EU were still active then. We would call for decisive sanctions by the EU, call it a new iron curtain. Companies, scientists, merchants, sports, banks, SWIFT, universities, agriculture, to block everything coming from Russia or going there. Period. This Putin will understand. The EU had watched this crisis under international law for far too long. What a shame.
Fortunately, this has changed dramatically now. The EU is moving, as does chancellor Scholz. And this reaction is speeding up. Putin is beginning to understand. It is imperative that all Europeans and democrats tell dictators: Not with us!
In the meantime, the G7 have put up sanctions as well, and Singapore, a tiny but financially mighty city state has followed suit. As did Switzerland after a long time of hesitation.
The international hacker network Anonymous has targeted Russia as well. The day before yesterday they hacked Russian state TV to play Ukrainian songs. What a nice slap in the face of the Russian government.
One thing might be a coincidence, but we are not so sure. The war against Ukraine did not begin on February 24, 2022, it started in 2014 with the annexation of the Crimea. 100 years after the beginning of WWI. The current attack is just another escalation of the ongoing war, which had been largely ignored by the West. Notwithstanding hints that this was just a test run, the German government kept on with Nordstream 2. Economic interests were considered more important than democracy and human lives. Even with the Russian president making his goals clear in numerous talks and articles over the past years: To reinstall the old borders, before 1990. Now the next step has been taken. Should the Ukraine be under full control of Russia, Russian troops and nuclear weapons will be stationed at the border to Poland.
Whomever is now feigning neutrality, is playing into the hands of the Russian president.
Hence our call to all those countries showing restraint, such as China, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia (and too many more) to join in the sanctions.
Even if sanctions will also affect those countries, there is one thing to say: “There is no looking the other way. Money and sales figures may break down, but they will return in the future. The dead are gone forever” (A citation of one of our favorite entrepreneurs and award-winning chef in Stuttgart: Vincent Klink) https://www.wielandshoehe.de/2022/02/28/pazifismus/ (in German)
Topic No. 2: Weekly new infections with SARS-CoV-2
Globally, on March 2, 2022, we are counting 11 M new infections, 440 M confirmed cases, 6 M deaths, and 11 B administered vaccine doses.
Germany for several days now is holding first place when counting new cases, followed by Russia, the US, France, and Brazil, with over 1 M newly registered cases per week, over 15 M confirmed cases, 123,000 deaths, and 170 M administered vaccine doses. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
Our Minster of Health and the government silently have decided to “somewhat” let the pandemic rush through the population. They are merely watching an endemic contamination.
Well, we now know that a bout with COVID-19, if survived, does only protect for a while. Then, it all starts from the beginning, a vicious circle. This way, we will not beat the virus since it has the capacity to evade through mutations.
Yet another coincidence: After WWI from 1918 to 1921, the Spanish Flu was killing millions. Now, we have both in Europe: A pandemic and a war.
War and plagues cost lives. It is horrible to see both events coming together. While the Russian president is cozy in his golden palace, safe from the war and safe from the panemic, at his order the Russian army is waging war in Ukraine. Ukrainians are fighting for their existence. These times we thought to be long gone. This shows just what backwards looking angry old men are capable of. On both sides, many young men and women are fighting, children mostly. What madness.
Here’s another quote, from a song by Bruce Springsteen: “War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!”
We at SAJO have decided to stop any negotiations and business relationships with partners from countries that, be it directly or indirectly, support the Russian president. This will result in financial losses, but our values (among others, these include democracy, human rights, freedom, and territorial integrity) are weighing more to us.
We are Europeans and we are democrats!
Big investors and customers from democratic countries are welcome.
Please, don’t stop wearing N95 masks when indoors or in large gatherings, to protect yourself from new variants.
The next mutant is already out there somewhere biding its time. Since Germany is now only testing “a little bit, and sequencing even less”, we only know what countries with a better procedure, such as Denmark, can tell us. We know a “little bit, only”. This may be done a lot better, Mr. Lauterbach.
Stay safe, and most of all stay democratic. We know the value of our democracy.
It is time for a strong, democratic and united Europe.
Yours, Joerg and Sabine
SAJO – for a healthy and better future!
SAJO is consulting all around infectious diseases. We are applying our know-how, that we have acquired in more than 20 years. We do what we can to fight this pandemic.
This is post No. 218. To our delight our blog is receiving a lot of acceptance, we love to share our know-how and expertise. Please feel free to share the link – it is an informative tool to fight this pandemic. We would appreciate, if our German colleagues in medicine and politics cited us when retrieving information from here.
(Note: We are no members of political parties, religious congregations, or societies. We value independence, sovereignty, and freedom. With our blog we are providing purely scientific advice, without conflict of interest, altruistic. We are not being paid for it.)
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