Working through Covid19

We are all told to stay at home. Not to go out unless it's for the bare essentials or daily exercise. I can't stay at home because I'm a healthcare worker. I work in a local care home. Before this pandemic, I had plans to travel around the world to as many countries as possible, attend writing clubs, get drunk with friends, go to concerts, nights out and conventions. You know, anything a typical young person would do. I'm one of the lucky ones really, but things can change. The minute you're down with a cold, people are quick to assume you've got it.

Death does not discriminate. Age, gender, health are irrelevant. When the virus comes, it will come hard. Some make it and some don't. Just because you're young doesn't mean it will spare you. Having worked in health care for years I've seen some bedridden go on for years and some people up and about just drop down dead.

I'd be lying if I said this hasn't affected me, but it has. So far I have yet to know someone personally who has had it, but that could change. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. At the moment we have to come into work in our normal clothes, get changed into our uniforms and then get changed again at the end of our shifts.

Handwashing has been more essential, even though this has already been a part of our role anyway and is a vital part of our infection control training. The same goes for PPE, they're bringing in more face masks. My work closed to visitors before the national lockdown happened. So a lot of the people I look after are feeling it. They're missing their friends, they're missing their families. They can't wait to see them again. We all want to know when this will be over, but nobody can answer that.

COVID-19 has brought out the worst in people. People sunbathing in parks and beaches, bulk panic buying, dumb toilet licking videos and people setting their mouths on fire to name a few. There are conspiracies that the virus is a hoax so that the government has full control over people's lives. Who knows? I've heard people go on to say that COVID-19 is the work of terrorist groups. I personally believe that hysteria has helped this disease breed faster.

I think banning outdoor exercise will be the next step of the lockdown. I wouldn't be surprised if we were back on rations. At the moment, I feel like I'm doing all this work and there's nothing to look forward to. All my holidays have been cancelled and even though I've got money spare, there's nothing to really spend it on. I'm feeling more tired than ever before and on my days off I just want to sleep. Even though the sun is out, you can't really enjoy it. Even when you can go outside, you feel like you're not there enough and the warmth seems to die the moment you step outside the door. British summers are normally shite anyway, but I bet it will be nice all year since the lockdown. Makes me wonder if climate change has something to do with? Cause of the lockdown, there's less pollution, so clearer skies.

That being said, it's also brought out the best in people as well. I see a lot of people in my local town's Facebook group offering to do errands for people. Local businesses donating stock they can't sell. All of us at work are doing our best to cover as many shifts as we can. Some of my colleagues have been in self-isolation, but are slowly returning to work.

It's bringing families closer and making realise how lucky we were and how lucky we will be when this is over. People have a lot more respect for me now then they did before the pandemic. When I think about it the entire working class could class as a keyworker.