The number of ways the Corona crisis of the century will finally come to an end has literally exploded.
In the language of the pandemic: it has increased exponentially, at least this summer.
Initially there were two simple solutions.
One, the Chinese solution, was: the party says when it's over and no one else.
The other was no less formal, but at least scientifically colored: the plague ends when herd immunity is achieved, the spread of the pathogen is stopped and the virus is defeated.
That's the theory.
The fact that some people derived the weird idea from this that the infestation of the population with an almost unknown virus should be accelerated in order to bring about the end as quickly as possible is one of the inhumane stories of this health crisis, which has now claimed at least 18 million lives, with which the spectrum of follies in the name of science was illuminated.
In the meantime, we are not only tired of the pandemic, but also much further in the arbitrariness.
Now that it is clear that herd immunity is temporarily impossible to achieve because on the one hand the virus changes much faster than expected and on the other hand the immune protection is given but does not last even with vaccination, the number of cases becomes secondary for most;
one's own vulnerability is simply determined subjectively.
Masks, distances, hygiene - everything is becoming relative.
Individual pragmatism replaces rules and measures in the name of solidarity.
This too is a sign of the end.
With their own eyes firmly fixed on it, the new infection protection law is likely to be seen by many in the country as a health policy placebo for the time being.
But, of course, even this relaxation triggers new, obscene irrationalities.
Under the hashtag #Einervon18Million, for example, the unvaccinated in the country have gathered on social media in recent days, who - original sound - continue to see themselves "excluded for no reason, insulted, threatened, intimidated and persecuted by incited neighbors".
The many millions of victims of this disguised social Darwinism, the virus victims and the immunologically weakened, are likely to look forward to this millionfold self-declared end with much less arrogance.
After all, the World Health Organization made it clear this week that it does not want to completely give up the reins when it comes to the end of the pandemic.
"We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic," said WHO Secretary-General Tedros, indicating that despite the lowest level of global Covid-19 deaths since March 2020, things are not over yet is over.
Above all, however, it is to be understood as a reminder: we can only be sure if the homework that has begun on pandemic policy, from monitoring, virus surveillance, indoor air prophylaxis, vaccination registers, data networking to the rapid development of additional vaccines and medicines - also against the millions of late effects of infections - is done consistently be done.