Finally, the expected 7-2.

In Brazil, it's common to cite the Northern Hemisphere when discussing good examples. This makes sense; we've been beaten 7-1 by numerous countries on many occasions, across various topics. But today there's a factor, a glimmer of hope for us Brazilians, that we can't ignore: the incredible national willingness to get vaccinated – 94% want or intend to get vaccinated against Covid-19, according to a Datafolha survey from July 2021. 

It's a game-changer when we compare ourselves to wealthy Europe, and especially Germany, the team that stabbed national pride in the back in the 2014 World Cup. It's therefore necessary to bring up these numbers whenever possible. It's about having the ability to change the outcome. 

Despite a campaign against science and common sense, and a central government that delayed the purchase of vaccines as much as possible, 78% of us have received at least one dose, and 66% have received two. 

It's still a glimmer of hope. Yes, a Brazil that mourns the death of more than 600 people is reacting. Perhaps the world isn't entirely lost, even with so much... Fake NewsLack of critical thinking, excessive madness and wickedness.

The "First World" is regressing. 

This extraordinary achievement is attracting international attention. Here in Switzerland, where I live, I've already heard comments of surprise about Brazilian resistance and willingness to get vaccinated. Some non-denialists even express shame at knowing that their "First World country," with access to the vaccine, has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe. 

Young people are self-infecting with Covid.

The situation is difficult in the Northern Hemisphere. Daily cases are hitting record highs; Omicron has shown no signs of letting up this holiday season. What also remains unrelenting is the disregard for the pandemic. There is a widespread disregard for life in society. The latest news in the Swiss press is about young people who are self-infecting with the virus to avoid vaccination. People are drinking each other's saliva or inserting contaminated cotton swabs into their noses.

Switzerland has a vaccination rate of only 67%, even though there is plenty of vaccine available. The situation here is so serious that editorials and headlines in major newspapers no longer spare deniers – this was written before they discovered that people want to contract the virus. 

The journal Tages anzeigerA Zurich-based newspaper published an editorial two weeks ago stating that "the unvaccinated face a major moral dilemma." "The situation in hospitals presents the unvaccinated with an unavoidable question of conscience," the columnist wrote, questioning the fact that over 90% of ICUs in major hospitals are overwhelmed with Covid-19 cases, primarily those of unvaccinated individuals.

Wealthy deniers

In Germany, for example, it's almost pathetic to read in the press that doctors' offices have discarded expired vaccines due to lack of use – especially when we read that the African continent has failed to immunize more than 6,6% of its population. 

In addition to a deeply ingrained culture against vaccination in general, Europeans still make the mistake of confusing individual rights with collective well-being. And, to top it all off, there is also a certain arrogance in considering themselves above good and evil, confusing economic prosperity with supremacy in the face of a virus. 

Arrogance

Professors Jürgen Gerhards and Michael Zürn from the Free University of Berlin, in an article in Der TagesspiegelThey go even further: for them, it would be arrogance on the part of the West to compare the handling of the disease there with the lower number of deaths in Asian countries.

Where does this arrogance, coupled with a certain ignorance of other cultures, come from? In the article, the professors explain the thesis of the American sociologist William Ogburn, who in 1922 formulated the theory of "cultural lag." Lack of culture seems to activate traditional images of the foreigner and of the self, images that often date back to colonial times and are long outdated. Whether we can apply this example to Brazil, I don't know, but it's interesting information. 

Eurocentrism

The paradox of a pandemic handled so poorly in Brazil should be a reason for us Brazilians to give ourselves a pat on the back – with hands sanitized with 70% alcohol-based preparations, please. It is up to us to recognize our efforts and stop always placing our country on the negative list, with the worst examples – even with all our lack of discipline in parties and gatherings. 

As for the wealthy nations, they should examine their consciences and ask themselves: where did we go wrong? How can we move forward when we carry at the core of our society immense selfishness and a senseless feeling of superiority?