Editorial Ta Nea: Public health alarm bell

France is preparing right now for a ninth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Greece, despite the fact that our country is first in the number of infections and second in the number of deaths among 30 European countries, according to European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control data, a dangerous complacency is prevailing.

Public health experts have since early autumn warned of the looming dangers posed by the cold winter weather.

Doctors repeatedly refer to a cocktail of the flu, Covid-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), underlining that this year will be worse as regards respiratory infections because for the last two years of the pandemic the population was not exposed to the usual germs and viruses.

Yet, the state and citizens do not appear willing to transcend the psychological fatigue of the protracted pandemic.

Many people do not wear masks in crowded, indoors spaces because it is not compulsory.

The state is not even considering the reinstatement of the mandatory wearing of masks in schools, where we have seen a major surge in Covid-19, flu, and cases of other infections.

If there is one thing we all should have learned from the extraordinary conditions of previous years it is that Covid-19 is unpredictable.

Learning to live with it does not mean we ignore it until we are forced to grapple with it.

Unfortunately, Covid-19 is still very much with us.