Dear Friends of ELIANT,
On 21st January 2021 we were finally able to bring our petition campaign to a conclusion with 96,294 signatures! We would like to express our warmest thanks to everyone who made this achievement possible. Here is the press release that we put together jointly with the Alliance for Humane Education (Bündnis für humane Bildung).
And what are we all hoping for in this second year of the Corona pandemic? Perspectives for guiding our approach to vaccination but also to the key question of how to strengthen the body's intrinsic health and immune system. Our alliance partner the International Association of Anthroposophical Doctors (IVAA) has together with the Medical Section at the Goetheanum published the helpful guidance which can be found here. But how can we renew trust in our own capacity for health and engender a new confidence and zest for life during this challenging period of the pandemic?
It is well known that fear, loneliness, separation from loved ones – these negative feelings all weaken our immune system and our resilience. They need to find compensation through positive feelings and a realistic assessment of the actual risk of falling ill. This knowledge is particularly important for those caring for older people who have to ensure that adequate protective measures are in place so that friends and relatives can accompany and be near them while remaining safe and well.
For a realistic assessment of risk it is helpful to look at the publicly available figures and put them into the context of one's own situation. In Germany this means accessing the figures provided by the Robert Koch Institute. They state that (as of 21st January) a total of 2,088,400 people have tested positive to Corona. In terms of a population of 83 million people this is 2.5% of the total. 20 % of those who test positive show no symptoms and are healthy, as has been demonstrated in a study carried out at Innsbruck University (tt.com). 80 % show mild symptoms and those who die from and with Covid make up 49,783 or 2.3%. According to these figures the chances of remaining healthy or of fully recovering if infected, are between 97.5% and 97.7%. There are also many reports of very old people with underlying health conditions making a complete recovery.
These figures are uncontested and if we let them sink in for a moment – even if they vary somewhat from country to country – there are two things we can say: How good it is to know all the measures that can be taken and how to safeguard vulnerable people by wearing face masks and following prescribed guidelines. On the other hand despite all the very justified concerns, we can rest assured in the knowledge that there is a far greater chance of remaining healthy than getting ill! And do I not also need to have a certain trust in destiny in order to meet life with courage and confidence?
Trust and confidence are positive feelings which are particularly strengthening to the immune system. They also include the joy of being in nature, engaging with art, meeting one another and having conversations. The conductor Riccardo Muti said in his address during the New Year concert in Vienna: "Health is what is most important and this includes health of the spirit. Music contributes to this. And art is one of the key elements for bringing about a better society in future".
We would like to send you the best of wishes for the year which has just begun and we are looking forward to sharing news with you about our contribution to European development in 2021.
Warm greetings on behalf of our alliance partners
Michaela Glöckler
We would like warmly to acknowledge all the Christmas donations you have made! That is what enables us to continue with our work and we hope that during the coming year you will feel able to continue providing this essential support so that we can continue fighting for the availability of choice – which is currently under severe threat. Thank you for your donation.
