The director of the Danish Health Authority, Søren Brostrøm, highlighted a phenomenon he termed “corona fatigue” (corona-træthed) as a source of increasing friction between members of the public over pandemic-related issues.

That fatigue should not be allowed to get a firm footing and prevent mutual understanding between people, Brostrøm said.

“We all deal with this corona fatigue differently but we must not let disagreements come between us,” Brostrøm said in a statement.

“There may be good reasons for some people to be more careful than others and, for example, keep a bit more distance. We should have respect for that and pay a little more consideration to the person in front of us in the queue or next to us on the bus. That’s how we’ll get through the winter together,” he said.

According to the authority, an increasing amount of discord is present in society relating to Covid issues such as social distancing, face mask rules and vaccination.

In its press statement, the authority cites Aarhus University’s HOPE project, which has monitored public attitudes and responses to the crisis since the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Researchers involved in the project have found that patience and acceptance with others is wearing thin when it comes to the coronavirus, the health authority said.

Brostrøm said it was important to be able to live together “both during and after the pandemic”.

“It’s fine to make it clear if you are concerned about getting infected or want others not to come too close,” he said.

“We should be alert that we have each other’s lives and wellbeing in our hands, including during this epidemic,” he also said.

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