European situation under the impact of the epidemic: The epidemic is changing the basic concepts and lifestyles of European people. Acquaintances in Italy, France, Belgium and other countries love to give each other a kiss when meeting each other. As the epidemic rages, people have temporarily given up this custom and invented non-contact ways of greeting such as bowing and waving. Dignitaries even shake hands when they meet. No need to do that, just say hello and smile instead.

Europeans love to go to bars and cafes. As the epidemic develops, bars and cafes have closed their doors. As various leagues have been suspended, groups of fans have disappeared.

It is worth mentioning the debate over masks. Europe is the birthplace of surgical masks, but many Europeans have been taught since childhood that only patients and medical staff need to wear masks. Wearing masks in public places must be a sign of illness. Since the new century, with the deepening of counter-terrorism and counter-extremism, some countries such as France and Austria have also passed laws prohibiting people from "covering their faces" (using masks and face shields to cover their faces) in public places.

In this context, wearing a mask while walking on the street is an "outlier" and often attracts passers-by's attention. In the early days of the epidemic, there were incidents of abuse and beatings caused by wearing masks in public places in some places in Europe. There have also been incidents in Italy and Switzerland where members of parliament were ridiculed and even expelled for wearing masks when entering parliament.

As the number of deaths from the disease rises, Europeans' attitudes towards wearing masks are changing. More and more people are wearing masks on the streets, at least they are no longer regarded as aliens. However, according to friends in Europe, the proportion of people wearing masks on the street is still very low, less than 10 in many places. At present, European governments still do not encourage people to wear masks on a large scale, and emphasize less contact and frequent hand washing. Even if people want to wear them, it is difficult to buy them. Many pharmacies have posted signs saying "Masks are out of stock."

European mentality

European mentality is still relatively calm and calm, which may have something to do with culture. Of course, this calmness can also lead to misunderstandings. When the epidemic first broke out, many places in Germany, the Netherlands, France and other countries still held large-scale carnivals as usual. Some traceability studies have shown that this was an important reason for the spread of the epidemic in these countries. Even under the current "city lockdown" situation in some places, "relying entirely on consciousness" is still the norm in community management.

Even French President Macron is anxious and has repeatedly called on people to stay at home and stop being free and loose. Not long ago, Merkel said that 60 to 70 people in Germany would be infected, and British Prime Minister Johnson released words such as "herd immunity". To some extent, this is also a strategy, hoping to win over some people who are used to freedom. "Scare" them and let them stay at home.