Covid-19 hasn’t gone away. We all started the new year in the hopes of a reprieve from the 21 century’s first pandemic but it has only gotten worse. Despite the great news of vaccines, in most of the world’s developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, Coronavirus has been rampant for the first month of 2021.
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Both of these nations have developed their very own vaccines (Moderna and AstraZeneca) as well as receiving shipments of the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine, and it isn’t enough. Amid rising cases all over the world, recent news has reported that there are now delays in the production of most vaccines. Inevitably, this means that the current situation will get worse and the period of staying indoors or being locked down is sure to be extended. Many people suffer from all kinds of medical conditions and have found it difficult during these dark times, so if you or a loved one has a condition there are some things you can do to make it easier on yourself and others:
- Keep on top of medication
- Stay up to date with the news
- Raise awareness
- Follow government advice
- Be excellent to each other
Access to your medication is a human right but the onus is on yourself to ensure you get it when you need it and by keeping up with the news you can stay informed on any situations. You might be living with multiple people and you might need to make them aware of any conditions you have that could affect them so they can help you if you need it. Following your government’s advice is key to getting through this but we must all remember that we are in this together and we need to support each other.
Stay Safe Out There
Many people reading this might be unfortunate enough to suffer from various medical conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease and many, many more. These all require a steady supply of specialized medications that can only be obtained from a doctor. While no one should have to suffer through debilitating and life-altering illnesses, for most, you will need to look after yourself and make sure you have the medication you need by either staying in contact with a repeat prescription service or your registered doctor.
Most GPs allow the use of such services, but some actually don’t, so you will need to ask your doctor’s receptionist about this. Obviously, such a service comes in handy when we are being advised to stay inside as little as possible and most of these services will send your medication through your local post service, although some do deliver privately for a small fee. At the moment, there is some disruption to postal and delivery services and with the increased volume, repeat medication companies are seeing delays in their services as well. Most of these are advising that you order your scripts 10 days before you usually require your medication in order to compensate for any delays.
Inform Yourself
When it comes to events of great importance most of us will turn to news sources for our information, whether it be local rags, national broadsheets or 24/7 news channels. The great thing about official news sources is that they can provide the most recent developments in a given situation and the most relevant advice straight from government offices. Since the beginning of the pandemic, news sources such as the BBC, Sky, and even CNN have been excellent sources of official guidance on what we should be doing right now. Getting the word out there about basic things like hand washing and social distance rules have been crucial, but more complex information is conveyed from time to time.
Local lockdown rules, the enforcement around them, and how it directly affects us all need to be strategised and broadcast from high ranking government officials, some of which has been daily.
Official facts and figures can also be obtained from official news sources such as websites but one thing must be made clear; please don’t believe anything you hear from word of mouth or especially from social media posts. If you do hear something then check official news sources to see if it’s true before disseminating the information to others.
Inform Others
Despite all of the available news and information, some people are either ignorant to the facts, have been grossly misinformed or blatantly don’t believe them. We all have a part to play in making sure people are aware of real information that saves lives and combats Covid-19.
People absolutely have the right to believe in what they want, but the objective judgement of a piece of news is crucial. We can all guide someone who is reading the wrong information on social media for example.
Early on in the pandemic, one social media post started an insane conspiracy theory that 5G cell towers were causing Coronavirus. This sparked violence and destruction across Britain and other nations. Other conspiracy theories, and one that has been prevalent for the past 10 years, is that vaccines cause more deaths than they save. This one has set a very dangerous precedent for the anti-vaccination movement that has enjoyed more exposure since the announcement of Covid-19 vaccinations.
Listen to the Government
Governments all over the world are constantly reviewing and updating their policies regarding Covid-19. Just recently, for example, new restrictions and quarantine controls have been placed on passengers arriving into the United Kingdom amid fears that visitors from other countries might be carrying deadlier variants of the disease.
Basic policies such as personal hygiene and wearing face coverings are practiced in most countries and by most people, and for the most part, these help greatly in combating the spread of the virus and promoting general health. But the governments of each nation have enacted different policies based on the current specific needs at any given time at a local level. For example, the UK has developed a regional tier system of 1 through 4 that conveys the emergency level of a particular part of the nation, with 4 being the most extreme. A tier 4 region means that the citizens are in a full lockdown, meaning only essential systems are in place, such as shopping for food and emergency repairs.
However, this doesn’t mean that everyone complies with the rules as a police raid on a school last week demonstrated. An events planner was fined the maximum penalty of £10,000 while multiple guests were issued fixed penalty notices at a 400 person wedding last Thursday.
We’re All in This Together
You might be unfortunate enough to have lost somebody to this unforgiving and merciless virus, or you might be lucky enough to have been completely unaffected, but whatever the situation we are all in this together. Lockdown measures mean that we might be seeing more of some people than we would like by not being able to go to work, stuck in a domestically unstable situation or having medical treatment temporarily withheld.
These are all frustrating scenarios and many people are living them right now. Mental health and domestic abuse hotlines are reportedly at a fever pitch while many people are losing their livelihoods. Understandably, some people are in far worse situations than others, but for those of us who are fortunate enough to be in amicable surroundings with loved ones or friends, even this can be trying.
Peace and respect are so important in times like this and if you do know someone in a terrible situation, perhaps a quick call, video message or even a text will let them know that someone is thinking of them and that they are not alone and this won’t last forever.