The Omicron wave in Israel is continuing to dissipate. We all hope the end of this battle will also mean the end of this war, or at least the end of the mass, broad-scope fight against the virus that erupted into our lives two years ago.
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Indeed, we've learned to be more careful. COVID, more than anything else, has taught us to look at things with more humility; to speak reservedly rather than bombastically; to prefer a restrained approach – such as the one adopted this week by Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization, who warned that "the pandemic hasn't ended." Dr. Swaminathan expressed the concern we all share: "We saw the virus go through various mutations and we expect there to be additional dangerous variants." Blessed is the man who is always reverent.
At the time of this writing, the number of deaths caused by the pandemic in Israel stood at 9,980 people. To our sorrow, this will not be the final number.
Over the past two years, we've become obsessed with statistics and studies. Charts, calculations, graphs, and prognostications have comprised a considerable portion of the discourse about the pandemic. It was only natural and warranted, considering the environment of uncertainty in which we found ourselves, to search out and adopt anchors and measuring sticks to help us understand our situation. For the decision-makers, the need for this was critical as it is a central component in the array of considerations for establishing policy and planning the next steps on the national level.
With that, the longer we routinely view the pandemic through the prism of large numbers, the greater the risk of eroding one of our core values: The value of the sanctity of life. To paraphrase a familiar proverb, for all the forest, we might not see the trees. Statistics, by nature, is an emotionless, soulless discipline that does not bother itself with values and ethics. It is a vital tool, yet we mustn't suffice with it alone.
This is doubly true in relation to the COVID pandemic, regarding which we are readily finding the reasons and justifications to ease our consciences: "Most of the people who died were old anyway;" "most of the people who died didn't have a current vaccination;" "it's inevitable, we need to learn how live (!) with COVID;" "it's like this everywhere, not just in Israel;" and other rationalizations in this vein. They are all true, but not enough to make everything alright.
Cast them not off in the time of old age
The public debate surrounding COVID has mostly focused on the government's policies. The main question is always whether the government has correctly balanced the need to curb infection rates with the need to open the economy and live normal lives. And yet, the benefit of this discussion is minimal in relation to the great deal of energy invested in it. It will motivate many studies and continue to be asked for years to come without any definitive conclusion, as it is influenced by ethical perceptions and is affected by a broad array of considerations. It would behoove us to invest, rather, in the steps we must take to preserve the status of the value of life, to halt and reverse the erosion of this value since the outbreak of the virus. We cannot allow COVID to kill the value of life.
We must elevate this value above all debate and emphasize our profound commitment to it. We must return to the fundamental norms we were raised on and remove all doubt that life is the most hallowed asset we have and that nothing is more important than saving a life, at least within the normal framework of a healthy society. Now is the time to strengthen our ethical muscles.
The heroic fight waged by the medical teams in Israel to save lives is a badge of honor for the public health system. It should be praised, not just to recognize those on the front lines, but as an example of excellence that every other public system should strive for, and to show that we truly mean that saving one life is like saving the entire world.
We should also learn from the ethical elements of this fight, not just the professional ones. For example, the Health Ministry's assisted living program, which fulfilled our moral obligation to care for our elderly: "Cast me not off in the time of old age; when my strength faileth, forsake me not." (Psalms 71:9)
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It would be right to compel the various government ministries to imbue these messages, each ministry in its respective field.
Particular importance applies to the Education Ministry, which in the past defined one of its educational goals as "instilling recognition of the sanctity of life..."
All of these are important measures, but not enough: Now is the time for the country to invest more in the health system, including the establishment of a national center for monitoring pandemics and diseases, building new hospitals in accordance with past plans, bolstering the internal medicine apparatus, and other steps.
The healthcare system must be fortified so that it can cope successfully with the challenges of the future. Investing in it will be a testament to the faith we have in it, a faith that it rightfully deserves, and would also be a testament to the very lofty place we continue to hold the value of preserving life.
