Swiss Review 4/2020

Swiss Review / July 2020 / No.4 13 considered the lockdown period to be a beneficial experience. These people were able to work fromhome or were working short-time hours with their income guaranteed. In contrast, 12% of participants declared that they had experienced an increase in theirmen- tal stress levels and a degradation of their living situation. Worse off still were the 34% of participants who lost their jobs or whose businesses had to close. Parise compares the lockdown to a rite of passage and remarks that the perceived usefulness of social func- tions was inversed. “The enemy was faceless, and the heroes were, too: it was certain professions that took on this latter role. Cashiers became soci- ety’s linchpins and medical staff our saviours. Other professions, which are usually in the spotlight, saw their importance drop, notably in the com- mercial sector, where normally stressed individuals suddenly found themselves with time on their hands.” “I was shocked by the difference in people’s situations,” agrees Cénec. “Depending on their age, location, and social and family situations, people have not had the same lockdown ex- perience at all.” Stress or contemplation Thosewhowere not subjected to high levels of professional or family-based stress saw their days grow longer. They discovered idleness andmedita- tion. “Staring at the ceiling or out of the window has beenmentioned pos- itively, whereas before it was consid- ered as laziness,” says Parise. This group used its time to exercise, en- gage inDIY projects or cook. “With re- gard to food or alcohol consumption, people either indulged themselves or were very self-disciplined,” notes the researcher. This latter attitude may have been a reaction to the excesses of the world as it was. “People of faith found that they were equipped to deal with anxiety, solitude and privation,” says the Ge- nevan pastor. In the anthropological study, 46% of participants considered that the epidemic constituted the first sign of the collapse of theworld. A fur- ther 51 % indicated that they had looked for explanations other than those presented in the media. “Each citizen became a coronavirus expert, all the more so given that even gov- ernments themselves were learning about the pandemic from day to day,” comments the French researcher. People of faith were able to fit this event into a pre-structured logic, “where the challenge is to overcome hardships, whilst knowing that we can hope to transformdifficulties into opportunities for personal growth”, said Cénec. Some blamed the 5G net- work for the start of the pandemic in Wuhan. Others saw a worldwide con- spiracy. For many, this pandemic was the result of harm done to the planet. “The story of the bat in the market in Wuhanwhich contaminated a human is very visual: it’s like a fable,” says Parise. Combating COVID-19 – what you need to know Keeping your distance; washing your hands; wearing a mask; testing and tracing – the Federal Office of Public Health continually updates its guidance on preventing COVID-19 in Switzerland. Further information: ogy.de/corona-bag Stranded abroad? The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs is helping to repatriate Swiss who are stranded abroad. Further information: ogy.de/corona-eda