#30daysofblogging Day 8: Covid-19 (come on Eileen)
Wednesday, March 11, 2020I imagine you must have read about Coronavirus everywhere else, that you knew I’d tackle it at some point. Fun Fact before we start, you can say Covid-19 to the exact tune of ‘come on Eileen’ and once you do, that’s the way you will read it forever after. You’re welcome.
When you've read about this virus before, it’s more than likely to have been from a news or media outlet. I want to talk about it from a patient perspective. You know how everywhere keeps saying that the risks are minimal and Covid isn’t a big deal to those who aren’t older or with underlying health issue? How, when people have died it’s somehow reasoned away as ‘well he was 80 and had underlying health issues’ with the subtext of ‘thats not the norm, no wonder it killed him’? Well I’m (shock horror) one of those weirdos with an underlying health issue, several actually, who are brushed off as ‘not the majority’. So I am in the at risk group and I must say it’s been enlightening in many, all awful, ways.
Firstly, I’ll explain why I’m more at risk. As my mum put it the other day, in terms of Coronavirus bingo, I have a full house 😂. I already suffer with a weakened respiratory system, my body is immune suppressed since transplant meaning I pick up infections and viruses very easily. I have liver disease, I’ve had cancer which left me even more vulnerable and made my blood counts go a bit crazy so again with lesser immunity and I’m diabetic. So practically all the. At risk categories covered. We are being told we are most at risk, but given no official advice about what we should do to protect ourselves. Crazy right?
We are so a group of people that rely on hospitals and medicines to function daily yet these places are under hideous strain and are the worst places for us to visit in case we pick up the virus. We also have non Covid related medical needs that it’s hard to evaluate are worth risking seeing a doctor for.
However, it’s been really upsetting to see people on social media sneering about how everyone is panicking and this illness is nothing worse than flu. It’s a very cast away attitude to those who would be in danger from it. That’s why I have a flu jab every year. To protect me as my body couldn’t survive flu: sorry but there’s no corona vaccine yet so yes, I am very concerned. What’s the absolute worst however, is those people buying up every cleaner, sanitizer, storable food stuff etc when they simply don’t need it, or even worse, to sell for ridiculous prices. These people are keeping supplies from those like myself who really need them, who will depend on them. The are doing it out of fear, ignorance or plain profiteering. I’ve seen posts with individuals bragging about selling hand sanitizer for £25 a pop. It’s profiting from the vulnerable and knowing it. They disgust me.
It’s shown a really shocking attitude to how we treat the ill and vulnerable that sadly doesn’t surprise me.
As an immune suppressed patient I always carry hand gel and practise good hygiene which I’ve stepped up at the moment. I tend to buy a couple of the sanizer I use if I see them on offer as I use it so often and have plenty to get me through. However I could easily be running low or needed to grab some when next out and now, I wouldn’t be able to.
With every outlet telling us how at risk our subgroup are but simultaneously offering no specific advice on what the most vulnerable should do, I like many others have to make decisions ourselves based on our own circumstances.
I wouldn’t say I’m self isolating as such but it’s an issue we as a household do have to review. Any time of year I trust my friends and family not to visit if they are ill or coughing. I put off plans constantly due to this reason. It’s very hard to cancel things you enjoy but I tend to think of the transplant rehab and the many rounds of chemo and recovery that I’ve been through to survive to this point and think that I’ve not come all that way just to spend vast amounts of time fighting for my life because I caught something unnecessarily. Stupidly putting myself in danger when there’s no need. If people do turn up ill I will come upstairs to my room, if they are offended, tough. I’m offended that you think so little of me that you didn’t postpone.
That’s the other big problem, the minority group of people with pre existing health problems must rely on the rest of society at large to protect us. We desperately need you to practise good hygiene, to seek medical help only when needed, to cough into tissues and contain your germs, to use sanitizer and to self isolate when you are ill for the proper period of time in order to stop it spreading and multiplying. If everyone did this, the group most vulnerable would become a lot more empowered. This should in my opinion, be the thing being drilled into the population rather than scaremongering. The government should also have enforced this better. It is lunacy to be pushing things with large crowds like the St Patrick’s day london parade because it just encourages crowds and virus spread. I believe we could make huge positive changes to the situation but unfortunately that won’t be done.
So no visitors with coughs or germs, good hygiene, high home cleaning standards and avoiding going out as much as possible are the measures I’m currently taking. It sucks! I’ve already cancelled a family christening and a theatre trip but it’s better than risking my health because it’s a very real possibility that if I catch this I will die. Plain and simple.
That said my mental health is important too and sometimes I may need a break from being in the house which I’ll assess the risks of just as I always do. I’m hoping to continue with going to walk the dog in the park where there are open spaces and little contact with others but I’ll review as usual. In the meantime, I’m trying to make my environment at home, the nicest it can be by decluttering and giving it a little revamp because I’ll be spending a lot of time in here.
My plea to anyone reading this is please, please be sensible. Do what you can to help prevent the spread of Corona virus and most important of all, don’t be a dick.
Ps: I’ve just seen this article from the charity Wellchild which basically reiterated these issues and urges the government to help protect vulnerable children and young people. Well worth a quick read https://www.wellchild.org.uk/2020/03/11/wellchild-calls-on-government-and-society-to-step-up-for-vulnerable-children-with-serious-health-needs-in-light-of-covid-19/
1 comments
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