ISRRT_COVID-19_book

Knowing what we know now, how might we approach a pandemic
Wilfried Hunziger
differently in the future.
We know in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic that we need some time until a vaccination
is broadly available. To bridge this time we had to minimize the spreading of the virus as much
as we can. This could be achieved by blocking all known pathways the virus uses to spread. In
my Country (Germany) decided to do so with the three well known methods to achieve this:
- washing hands in accordance with established policies
- practicing social distancing, in-line with national guidance
- wearing a face covering in daily routine, in-line with national and professional
guidance
All this sounds very simple, but as I observed, it´s not. There are people who came together
with shaking hands, people who sat coughing on public transportation without any kind of a
face covering and much more. I had always up to five FFP2 / KN95 masks in my bag to be
prepared if something like this happens. If so, I actually asked people to use a mask which I
gave them as a gift but with phrases like: ‘Please, use this fresh mask’; ‘That´s good for you,
because you don´t risk a fine’ (in Berlin, Germany, at this time the use of a FFP2 mask was
compulsory in public transport); and ‘it´s good for me, because I work in a Hospital and I see
enough people dying at the Intensive Care Unit’. Speaking this, people sometimes looked a
little annoyed at me, but usually they were speechless. However, you can easily see in their
faces that they are not amused. So, this is maybe not the politest way, but I found it to be an
effective one. On the other hand, sometimes people gave me a round of applause in the
underground/subway when I offer people a mask and ask them to use it.
To keep the next pandemic at bay it might be an important part of what we do - to speak with
those in your social surroundings, your family members, your friends and neighbours, your
colleagues at work etc. about the importance to protecting yourself and others, with, for
example, the wearing of masks. But this topic is not only related to my private life or in public
places. It leads to heavy discussions in my own radiology department as well. In the first
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