Madeira will want to encourage tourists, and they will want to come here. The same goes for Madeiran residents who want to travel either for business or pleasure. But to reopen the travel market, we will all have to have certificates, stating either that we recently tested negative or that we had the virus and now carry antibodies.
I am a blood donor, vegetarian, not overweight, non-smoker etc and used to lending my arm, so to speak and I hope to be called soon by the hospital. They should be looking for a good group of healthy volunteers who are willing to undergo proactive infection with Covid-19. As we all are under lockdown, anyway, such a group of people could be deliberately infected, then safely stowed away at home, and supervised by doctors.
Blood donors are a healthy bunch; the screening process for HIV and other diseases as well as other factors impacting health, is strict and takes place every time before a donation. Afterwards, the blood is poked and prodded and checked further, in order to have a 100% risk-free “product” for other patients. So, with “our” group, the likelihood that one of us would become seriously sick, is low, a risk that any volunteer can decide to take or not. After the incubation period and, in some cases, slight illness with close control by the medical staff, blood donors can also become antibody donors for seriously ill Covid patients.
A person who has undergone Covid, will then receive a respective certificate, maybe as a note in our vaccination booklets, and may travel freely within Europe.
I’m waiting for the call, let’s do it!
Ursula Hahn
info at madeira-weekly.com