Northern Europe during Pandemic -- Summers 2020 & 2021 & onwards

[Dockhead]

Mika Salminen, the chief of the Finnish public health authority, has been named Alumnus of the Year of the University of Helsinki:

https://www.miragenews.com/mika-salm...y-of-helsinki/

Like Tegnell in Sweden, Salminen is enormously popular in Finland, with the popularity cutting across political lines. There is widespread trust in the technocratic process of policymaking in this crisis. It's nice to be in such a country, during this horrible time.

[Dockhead]

Concerning Finland being a good place to be during this, Bloomberg agrees:



Finland top rated in Europe, followed by all the rest of the Nordic countries plus Germany.


https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/c...ience-ranking/

[Dockhead]

The beautiful Christmas market on the ancient town square of Tallinn this weekend:







It was supposed to be cancelled, but there was an uproar among the population, so it happened after all.

Tallinn, by the way, for those of you who haven't been here, is one of the most beautiful cities of Europe and possibly THE most beautiful European capital. Fabulous wealth of things to see and do, excellent cultural life, and amazing restaurants. One of the absolutely top cruising destinations in the Baltic Sea.


Places like this remind me of why I left the U.S. and never looked back. The cultural life of this small city of half a million people puts to shame the cultural life of the last U.S. city I lived in with a population more than 10x greater.

[goboatingnow]

Youre a one man tourist agency

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Youre a one man tourist agency

Ha, ha. I love it here, and I'm trying to think -- and share -- happy thoughts in this grim time.


Dreaming of a nice Baltic cruise in Summer 2021 without pandemic.

[Dockhead]

Here's the situation today:



Lithuania is worse and worse, and Sweden seems to be roughly stabilized at around 500 daily cases per million -- not a low level.

Estonia and Latvia continue to get slowly worse; both have broken 300 cases per million.

UK has made a remarkable turnaround but with a little uptick at a little over 200. Germany has likewise had an uptick and is working on 250, but Germany has never had a steep rate of increase and this is a fairly low level.

Norway and Finland are still not getting the second wave -- surprising to many here. But it's not over yet.

The overall infection rate in the EU has come way down from about 500 to under 300 now, less than half the rate of the US -- 600 and climbing. So I think the second wave is clearly subsiding in the EU, although since it started later in Northern Europe the worst may still be ahead of us up here. The biggest questions: Can Lithuania and Sweden get it under control, and are Finland and Norway really going to get to sit this one out?

As to death rates:



Europe as a whole seems to have peaked at about 8 per million. Lithuania still rising and closing in on 7 -- this is worrying as infections are also still rising in Lithuania. Will this spill over into Latvia?

Sweden appears to have peaked at something under 6. See also:



This is good news.

Latvia somewhat worrying , rising sharply towards 5. Otherwise in the Nordic and Baltic region, quite low death rates, nothing like the 16+ we saw in many European countries in the Spring, and a fraction of the present European average of just under 8.

In general the second wave has not been the kind of catastrophe we feared. It's interesting to compare Nordic countries with some place like Minnesota, with the same ethnic makeup and similar culture:



The death rate is something like 10x the rate at which Sweden peaked a couple of weeks ago, and maybe 50x the Finnish rate, and continues to rise.

I don't think you can explain the large differences in outcomes, with differences in measures. There must be many different things going on here.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Ha, ha. I love it here, and I'm trying to think -- and share -- happy thoughts in this grim time.

There is an awful lot to be grateful for if anyone is healthy and not suffering financially, and if the same goes for those close to them. I cried occasionally in the very early days thinking of what would occur worldwide, and I have grizzled at times this year that the social isolation has been very tough, but to put it in perspective most of us are still living extraordinarily lucky lives.

I need to pinch myself every time it hits me that we are freely cruising such a stunning area. How can I possibly feel at all deprived with blazing sunshine for three days in a row, a snow covered shoreline, seals popping up regularly, an eagle soaring above, and Christmas fairy lights twinkling in a warm pilothouse?

During this terrible year I think we do need to focus on what we have, not what we have lost.

SWL

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

There is an awful lot to be grateful for if anyone is healthy and not suffering financially, and if the same goes for those close to them. I cried occasionally in the very early days thinking of what would occur worldwide, and I have grizzled at times this year that the social isolation has been very tough, but to put it in perspective most of us are still living extraordinarily lucky lives.

I need to pinch myself every time it hits me that we are freely cruising such a stunning area. How can I possibly feel at all deprived with blazing sunshine for three days in a row, a snow covered shoreline, seals popping up regularly, an eagle soaring above, and Christmas fairy lights twinkling in a warm pilothouse?

During this terrible year I think we do need to focus on what we have, not what we have lost.

SWL

Sure, but what about the tens of millions of unemployed, the children who've lost a year of school, the bankrupted restaurant owners, the dead? Like you, and like most first world white people of upper middle class or above, I haven't suffered much personally (not yet). I did some pretty good sailing during the summer, and now get to take an international flight at least once or twice a week. From my narrow selfish point of view, the worst I've suffered is some tenants not paying me rent for a few months, some psychological stress in isolation in the spring, a couple of months without restaurants or hairdressers, severe theatre and concert withdrawal, one damaged relationship, some inconvenience. No big deal in the grand scheme of things. But so many people are suffering.



I've lost the third person I knew closely, to the virus, yesterday. A great lady; a giant in the 20th century art world. She was 98, so her time was up in any case, but still.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

The beautiful Christmas market on the ancient town square of Tallinn this weekend:

Attachment 228219

Attachment 228220

Attachment 228221

It was supposed to be cancelled, but there was an uproar among the population, so it happened after all.

Tallinn, by the way, for those of you who haven't been here, is one of the most beautiful cities of Europe and possibly THE most beautiful European capital. Fabulous wealth of things to see and do, excellent cultural life, and amazing restaurants. One of the absolutely top cruising destinations in the Baltic Sea.


Places like this remind me of why I left the U.S. and never looked back. The cultural life of this small city of half a million people puts to shame the cultural life of the last U.S. city I lived in with a population more than 10x greater.

Most uplifting to see and read about beautiful spots like this in the midst of all the bad news we can't control, exacerbated of course by all the hateful and divisive political rancor. Certainly one of the positives CF has to offer for some of us waiting things out at the dock. Thank you for posting.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Sure, but what about the tens of millions of unemployed, the children who've lost a year of school, the bankrupted restaurant owners, the dead? Like you, and like most first world white people of upper middle class or above, I haven't suffered much personally (not yet). I did some pretty good sailing during the summer, and now get to take an international flight at least once or twice a week. From my narrow selfish point of view, the worst I've suffered is some tenants not paying me rent for a few months, some psychological stress in isolation in the spring, a couple of months without restaurants or hairdressers, severe theatre and concert withdrawal, one damaged relationship, some inconvenience. No big deal in the grand scheme of things. But so many people are suffering.

I have had a lot of difficult things to grapple with this year, one of which has been letting myself still experience happiness when so much suffering is occurring.

We of course suffer when those close to us are suffering, but how should we feel when this is occurring perpetually worldwide? Putting the pandemic aside, there are wars/conflicts, natural disasters, poverty, starvation and illnesses constantly affecting millions on a daily basis. Why should we feel differently simply because losses are now suddenly occurring to people in similar situations to ourselves?

I think it would be such a waste of our lives if we never allowed ourselves to experience any happiness amidst all the suffering.

SWL

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

I have had a lot of difficult things to grapple with this year, one of which has been letting myself still experience happiness when so much suffering is occurring.

We of course suffer when those close to us are suffering, but how should we feel when this is occurring perpetually worldwide? Putting the pandemic aside, there are wars/conflicts, natural disasters, poverty, starvation and illnesses constantly affecting millions on a daily basis. Why should we feel differently simply because losses are now suddenly occurring to people in similar situations to ourselves?

I think it would be such a waste of our lives if we never allowed ourselves to experience any happiness amidst all the suffering.

SWL

I think it would also be wasteful for others who find inspiration in your unique and adventurous lifestyle choices, and the happiness it brings to people who may wish to emulate it, whether in reality or in their imaginations. Only if your own happiness comes to you directly at the expense of others would I say that not allowing yourself your own choices may be justified. Often all we can do to try and relieve suffering of others is at a seemingly small, individual level.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Exile

.... Only if your own happiness comes to you directly at the expense of others would I say that not allowing yourself your own choices may be justified. Often all we can do to try and relieve suffering of others is at a seemingly small, individual level.

Yes, I should have qualified my statement.
And yes, I think particularly those of us who are fortunate have a responsibiliy to help others less lucky.

And luck is a HUGE part of it. I grew up in Australia, frequently termed “The Lucky Country” and I think it certainly is. The vast majority of people who are motivated and hardworking can achieve their dreams. Safety nets are good, as is health care.

I experienced some time in Sri Lanka shortly after the tsunami that hit in December 2004 and this was an eye opener. Around 30,000 people in the NE region lost their lives with all the villages on the coast wiped, and many more thousands had lost everything they owned, as well as losing numerous relatives, including children. We had medical students acting as interpreters who had been hit with the knowledge they were never likely to complete their studies. The lovely young girl allocated to me had lost 12 family members. And then there was a trip further north into the war torn Tamil Tiger region. No aid was reaching there at all. Our minibus was directed not to move the region unaccompanied, as previously known land mines had been washed away and all the tracks leading out were not safe. Those who “accompanied” us included 10 year olds with rifles and ammunition belts slung across shoulders. Instead of ABC posters in primary schools there were instructional pictures of how not to go into fields if a cow had been blown up. I cannot describe well what it was like.

Similar grief is occuring constantly worldwide on a daily basis. For us in developed countries it has just suddenly come closer to home with this pandemic.

SWL

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

I have had a lot of difficult things to grapple with this year, one of which has been letting myself still experience happiness when so much suffering is occurring.

We of course suffer when those close to us are suffering, but how should we feel when this is occurring perpetually worldwide? Putting the pandemic aside, there are wars/conflicts, natural disasters, poverty, starvation and illnesses constantly affecting millions on a daily basis. Why should we feel differently simply because losses are now suddenly occurring to people in similar situations to ourselves?

I think it would be such a waste of our lives if we never allowed ourselves to experience any happiness amidst all the suffering.

SWL

I think that's very right and very well said. I hope you didn't interpret what I wrote as saying that we shouldn't experience life or happiness because others are suffering. We have to be conscious of the suffering of others and do our part to relieve it, but we also have an obligation to make the most beautiful thing possible out of our own lives -- we have only one (as far as we know), and it doesn't last forever.


I remember in this very thread, in the late spring, some people burst in expressing moral outrage that anyone was even thinking about sailing this summer. How selfish! How horrible! To which I said -- for those of us who can, why not? Every summer is precious, we are not given an unlimited number of them. For how many people will this be the LAST summer of cruising? None of us know. Carpe Diem, even during a pandemic, to the extent you can.


We want to save lives, but save lives -- for WHAT? Life is made up of just these very things.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Yes, I should have qualified my statement.
And yes, I think particularly those of us who are fortunate have a responsibiliy to help others less lucky.

And luck is a HUGE part of it. I grew up in Australia, frequently termed “The Lucky Country” and I think it certainly is. The vast majority of people who are motivated and hardworking can achieve their dreams. Safety nets are good, as is health care.

I experienced some time in Sri Lanka shortly after the tsunami that hit in December 2004 and this was an eye opener. Around 30,000 people in the NE region lost their lives with all the villages on the coast wiped, and many more thousands had lost everything they owned, as well as losing numerous relatives, including children. We had medical students acting as interpreters who had been hit with the knowledge they were never likely to complete their studies. The lovely young girl allocated to me had lost 12 family members. And then there was a trip further north into the war torn Tamil Tiger region. No aid was reaching there at all. Our minibus was directed not to move the region unaccompanied, as previously known land mines had been washed away and all the tracks leading out were not safe. Those who “accompanied” us included 10 year olds with rifles and ammunition belts slung across shoulders. Instead of ABC posters in primary schools there were instructional pictures of how not to go into fields if a cow had been blown up. I cannot describe well what it was like.

Similar grief is occuring constantly worldwide on a daily basis. For us in developed countries it has just suddenly come closer to home with this pandemic.

SWL

Wow, what an experience. Not many would (quite literally it sounds) risk their own lives to help others in this way. The vast majority of those who care would simply write checks -- also critically important but obviously not the same. Just like you cannot possibly describe what it was really like, your brief description is enough to understand that none of us who haven't experienced this first-hand can really appreciate it. And yes, I agree that the pandemic has brought this home to us "lucky" ones, even if many of us aren't suffering as much as so many others. In fact, like other catastrophes such as wars, natural disasters, economic collapses, etc., at the beginning of this I naively thought the universal effect of the pandemic might actually bring my own country (U.S.) together and make it less polarized politically. But alas . . .

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Exile

Wow, what an experience. Not many would (quite literally it sounds) risk their own lives to help others in this way. The vast majority of those who care would simply write checks -- also critically important but obviously not the same. Just like you cannot possibly describe what it was really like, your brief description is enough to understand that none of us who haven't experienced this first-hand can really appreciate it. And yes, I agree that the pandemic has brought this home to us "lucky" ones, even if many of us aren't suffering as much as so many others. In fact, like other catastrophes such as wars, natural disasters, economic collapses, etc., at the beginning of this I naively thought the universal effect of the pandemic might actually bring my own country (U.S.) together and make it less polarized politically. But alas . . .

I was terrified heading in reading about the possibility of cholera and typhoid in the camps. There was not enough lead time to get all the vaccinations required (eg rabies). I remember naively enquiring if an air lift would be available if necessary. Those more experienced must have rolled their eyes. All this completely faded into oblivion when I read about all the unexploded land mines having shifted who knew where in the areas we would be working.

I know huge losses have been experienced with this pandemic and the ripple effect involves so many more than the death toll indicates, but this pandemic is not the worst thing that countless others have experienced in my lifetime, let alone previously (WWII springs to mind, as my father-in-law reminds me). I think we need to put this in perspective.

SWL