Page 24 - C.A.L.L. #46 - Summer 2020

Amsterdam Catholic Worker, The Netherlands

I speak not for the community, but as Frits personally. I notice in my heart and mind a big
and growing tension between complying with all measures aimed at preventing suffering and
the suffering these measures cause in the life of society and the life of community and in my
personal life.

I fear the suffering the measures cause in society from the micro to the global level, by far
outweigh the suffering the virus brings.

Of course, we should slow down the spread of the virus, sure, but at what cost?

In the standard 2.1 average Dutch household sick people can go about in their house and
make tea, watch TV, chat with their fellow 1:1. In our 20 person community people with
symptoms have to stay in their room. “Let’s be safe, and assume it is corona”. We make it
even harder for them than in society at large where one can go about in one’s own home when
sick.

After days or weeks in our case when they have no longer symptoms, people are allowed back
into the community. Pretty hard though, I find. Prison is less hard, with air, recreation and
company.

In NL we cannot know for sure if it was corona because there are no tests in NL for people
with only normal fever and symptoms. The current idea in the community is that when a new
somebody gets sick and has symptoms inlcuding fever, all others cannot leave the house and
the ones that have gone through isolation are not declared immune because “Let’s be safe
and assume it was not corona” and they have to stay indoors as well.

In a ‘normal household’, I look at the checklist of symptoms and know if I had it or if it is a
maybe and I decide if I declare myself ‘immune’ or a more precautionary ‘not yet’. Similarly,
buying a car or a cell phone causes suffering, even causing death to the planet and for other
people, but each community member decides on his/her own whether to have one or not. I’m
pretty sure that I’ve had corona and therefore declare my self immune. If I am not, and I
cause harm, it is on me, just like when I own a car or a cell phone. All this group pressure to

go for the absolute surest option at all costs, makes me sad and angry.

At the beginning of the pandemic in NL the prime minister and the scientists said the goal
was that we build up to about 60% group immunity and we try to keep the vulnerable people
out of harms way. When there is 60% group immunity, the vulnerable people have a good
chance to live until a vaccine is developed.

We removed our one elderly person with diabetes from the house. All 20 + others are not in
high risk categories.

I say, let us be a normal household, let us not shy away from getting the virus, let us

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