Facing the threat of an epidemic regardless of country, European countries, which have dreams of being borderless, are building "partitions" everywhere.

The emptiness and lure are looming over flashy Europe, when the great squares and stadiums are empty. Luxury museums, restaurants and bars are also closed. Increasing insecurity, fear and division in the community.

After seeing Covid-19 raging in China indifferently, Europe seemed to be frightened by the situation in Italy. Many countries suddenly imposed restrictions on travel, such as Spain blocking the country, Czechs demanding people to leave their homes, or Germany controlling border with neighboring countries. This situation makes the idea of a united Europe without borders far away.

"The paradox of a cross-border virus strain is that solutions require separation, not only between countries, but also within the territory," said Nathalie Tocci, advisor of the European Union (EU). ), for. Along with Italy's national blockade and many countries controlling entry, more than 100 million Europeans are being affected by a series of travel restrictions.

"The problem now is not only the borders between countries but also between individuals," said Ivan Krastev, an expert at the Free Strategy Center in Sofia, Bulgaria. "People around them are likely pathogens. They may not know they are endangering others. The only person without any threat is the person at home."

The lives of the people of Europe, which still boast of the power of science and technology, as well as institutions and democracy, suddenly turned upside down. Greetings and hugs when encouraging or comforting become potential dangers. Everyone must be wary of neighbors or their own family.

However, adviser Tocci noted that blockade measures would not work without coordination between countries. In addition, the construction of "baffle" in reality does not make much difference, because "invisible enemies" have crept inside, commentator Steven Erlanger of NY Times said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 13 declared Europe to be a global Covid-19 center and warned of an unpredictable outbreak. On March 15, the three most affected European countries of Covid-19, Italy, Spain and France, recorded a record number of deaths from nCoV in one day, bringing the total number of deaths in countries. This number is over 1,800, nearly 300 and nearly 130.

The situation in the UK is also increasingly worrying, as the number of cases has nearly 1,400 with more than 30 deaths. According to a confidential Public Health Agency document released by the Guardian, 80% of the country's population could be infected with nCoV in the next 12 months. "A maximum of 15% of the population, equivalent to 7.9 million people, will be hospitalized," the document said.

"The overwhelming emotion is fear. The Covid-19 crisis makes anxiety and anxiety accumulate, and at the same time increases the confusion of a world that is moving too fast. You can get sick. just because he put his hand on the doorknob. It was the height of fear, "said French political scientist Dominique Moisi.

He said that before an "invisible enemy", social mobilization, although difficult but extremely necessary. "Paris lost 150 lives a night in 2015 because of terrorism. It was brutal, but it was tangible. Meanwhile, the number of people who would die in the end will be much higher and it will be invisible." Moisi said.

European governments that tried to call for calm in the face of terrorism now face another difficult task. That is how to scare the public and act for the common good.

In 2003, French-American philosopher George Steiner, who died last month at the age of 90, wrote a famous essay called "European Thought". According to him, European cultural identity includes cafes where people meet and socialize, in addition to the habit of liking walking on crowded squares and small streets.

Krastev pointed out that amid the epidemic, cafes were closed, while squares and streets were virtually devoid of people. Therefore, the two cultures were destroyed, leading to the feeling of isolation and loneliness of the people.

However, the gloomy atmosphere in Europe is sometimes "broken" by unexpected actions, showing humanity and solidarity, adviser Tocci said. The Italians sang together from separate balconies, and expressed appreciation to the medical staff who were working so hard.

"The nice thing here is that the epidemic doesn't lead to disagreements. People are scared, but most of them show responsibility and solidarity. There are a lot of shared messages, including funny sentences. ", Tocci said. She herself also discovered positive aspects of the blockade, like having more time for her children and family.

Krastev, who lives in Vienna, Austria, is torn between staying or taking his whole family to Bulgaria, where the health system is weaker but the epidemic seems to be less severe.

Where is the safer place is probably also the common question of all migrants. Krastev's daughter has just returned from Spain and doesn't understand why she has to leave the country. "I told her that the Spanish that she loves will disappear within 48 hours," he recounted.