Frankfurt – The conservative German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine commented on the fear factor in dealing with the international coronavirus crisis.
In an editorial on Thursday, the paper writes in part: “The official bodies are fully committed to de-escalation. This has something of organised emotional hygiene.
Officially no-one wants to talk about a real pandemic, as they fear this could have an impact on the global economy and lead to irrational behaviour and even unrest.
Germany may in fact be prepared. The clinics have stocked plenty of coronavirus tests, and even faster antibody tests will soon be available.
The number of hospital beds for people with severe lung diseases should also be sufficient if authorities manage to keep a sense of panic under control, and if the spread of the disease remains limited.
But who can be sure that the situation on the epidemic front is currently so volatile.
Given current developments and the fears that abound, self- praise for potential preparedness would be premature.
(dpa/NAN)
