The Levant News publishes voices from a wide variety of people with different backgrounds. After stories from Italy, Saudi Arabia, America and Lebanon today Dutch actor and entrepreneur Arjan Kindermans elaboration on COVID-19, its consequences and 'the new normal'..

Do you think covid will ever go away? The flue vaccine has not managed to make the flue virus disappear. How long are we going to keep our distance? Wear face masks? How long will we postpone, and cancel party’s and festivals?

I find it terribly sad when people die, whether that is caused by corona, the flue, loneliness or depression, I wish non of that upon anyone.

We have accepted that we run the risk of getting the flue every year, would we think that way about covid in the future you reckon? Or don’t you think so, do you think we can only go back to our old lives when covid is completely eradicated, like the smallpox? And what if we don’t manage to do so?

I don’t know the answers but I am deeply worried that we are trying to control something uncontrollable, and that we do so much longer than what’s good for us. I am worried about the price so many are paying for how we are dealing with the virus.

I am worried about all the bankruptcies, the lost jobs, the elderly who aren’t held anymore and the youngsters who are being educated halfheartedly, online, and are growing up in a connection-ridden, future-less world.

I don’t know the answers but I am worried, shouldn’t we accept that life has risks? That in fact we may get ill, very ill, that some things are uncontrollable and unpredictable? Or do you think we should keep doing everything we possibly can and that all the sacrifices are a necessary evil?

The debate is hardening, we often have our opinion prepared, for or against. I would like to have a conversation in which the fear of covid has a place, as well as the concerns about the measurements. A conversation to consider together whether the route we are taking, the train we are on right now, is in fact the right one.

After all: in the course of history the most fantastic developments came out of the human talent to have the other change our minds and inspire us…

Arjan Kindermans can be reached via the website of his coaching, and consulting agency Ander Licht