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There were even concerts at the end - Roland Kaiser sings in Berlin in early September, open air, of course.
In the past few months, the corona pandemic has been endured quite well, because a lot could take place in the fresh air.
There the risk of infection is significantly lower than in closed rooms.
But now the cold season is coming.
So what to do
Julia Köppe, DER SPIEGEL:
"AHA - we all know these rules by now: distance, cough etiquette, everyday mask. That may sound trivial. But AHA becomes even more important in autumn and winter when it's too cold to close the beer outside drink or do sports BEFORE the gym. In the near future we will all be inside a lot more and thus be able to keep a lot less distance. We have moved everything outside precisely because we now know that the coronavirus affects tiny, sometimes microscopic droplets are transferred.
These evaporate quickly in the open air - but not indoors.
And everyone distributes these droplets when sneezing, speaking and breathing.
The very tiny particles, so-called aerosols, in particular, are pretty robust - they can fly for meters and probably stay in the air for a few hours.
Nobody knows how many viruses someone has to inhale for an infection to occur. But: the fewer potentially infectious fours there are in the air, the better. Above all else, ventilation helps. So tilt the window as always and fine? Unfortunately, it is not that simple because too little air is exchanged. To get the aerosols out of the room, you have to open the windows all the way regularly and ventilate them properly, using your thumb for a quarter of an hour. The best thing to do is to open two opposite windows - the more draft, the better. The best of all is to open two opposite windows - for about five minutes, two to three times a day. The more draft, the better. "
Researchers at the TU Berlin make aerosols visible.
Could machines make ventilation superfluous?
Maybe yes, but it's not that easy.
Air conditioning or ventilation systems often cannot be retrofitted with the appropriate filters.
The alternative: air purifiers.
The Trox company, for example, produces such devices, basically sheet metal boxes with a fan and a filter.
They could be used in rooms like school classes, but should cost around 3500 euros each.
There are also electricity and maintenance costs.
Smaller versions from other manufacturers are also available for private households, but they usually cost a few hundred euros per device - an expensive alternative to opening windows.
Julia Köppe, DER SPIEGEL:
"We now have six months of the corona pandemic behind us - and everyday life was already exhausting and annoying during THIS time. We are still lucky that the number of cases is significantly lower than in other countries. That could happen In the coming months, however, it will change. It is therefore all the more important to know who you have been in contact with. But do you remember exactly which colleague you had dinner with three days ago? And when exactly Jakob celebrated his birthday? That's how I felt At least when I recently had to be tested for suspected corona. Fortunately, the result was negative, but since then I've kept a contact diary. All the names of those with whom I have spoken personally for more than 15 minutes come in. Of course I can't write down the people I met on the bus, that's what the Corona app is intended for. It was also practical when I was recently tested. The result followed four hours straight to the app. Of course, I can't promise that it'll always be that fast, but it worked well for me. "
The flu season begins in autumn.
The influenza virus is similar to the virus that causes Covid-19.
The precautionary measures against Covid also protect against influenza.
Julia Köppe, DER SPIEGEL:
"But that is not really a reason to relax. Seriously ill flu patients depend on resources similar to those of Covid 19 and when both come together, it is of course an additional burden on the health system. So the more flu cases can be prevented, the better. There have even been calls for a flu vaccination recommendation to be made for everyone. Germany currently only has around 25 million doses, which is significantly more than in previous years, but is not enough for all."
The Stiko Standing Vaccination Commission therefore continues to recommend that people who are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill should be vaccinated against the flu.
So everyone over 60 years of age, pregnant women, the chronically ill, medical staff, people in nursing homes and people who live together with people in need of care.
The optimal time for vaccination is October and November.
One of the easiest ways to protect yourself against the corona virus remains to wash your hands - with soap and for at least 20 seconds.
Julia Köppe, DER SPIEGEL:
"It didn't make much difference whether the hands were dried with disposable towels, hand hair dryers or these cloth towel dispensers. However, disposable towels are considered more hygienic. By the way, antimicrobial soaps have no advantage against Corona. The antimicrobial usually means that the soaps are particularly effective against bacteria, but that doesn't help against corona. "