The phenomenon known as Covid fatigue is actually incompetence fatigue, a new study has discovered.
Covid fatigue – a term used by Health Minister Chris Fearne in last week’s press conference – refers to the public’s perceived feeling of weariness of social distancing, mask-wearing, and other measures introduced to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
However, a team of researchers from the American University of Malta, led by Professor Imona Jetski, found that the measures were not in fact the source of the fatigue.
“On the face of it, the cause of people’s tiredness appears to be the so-called ‘new normal’ that Covid has brought about. But when you dig a little deeper, you find that the real reason why people are fed up is actually the incompetence of politicians, not just in Malta but all over the world,” Prof. Jetski told Bis-Serjetà.
Prof Jetski cited anti-Covid measures that were half-baked, introduced too late or that didn’t make sense as the primary source of frustration.
“Other factors include politicians giving mixed messages, ignoring experts and putting the interests of a few businesses ahead of both health and the wider economy.”
Asked whether there were any remedies for Covid fatigue, Prof Jetski said:
“The guillotine and cloning Jacinda Ardern.”