I’m going to be really honest here, I have struggled to blog over the past few days as I have found myself saying things that may be frowned upon, but I can no longer silence myself.
I am very aware (thanks to the media) of the current outbreak and associated risks of COVID-19. The most common symptoms of coronavirus are recent onset of:
> new continuous cough and/or
> high temperature
For most people, coronavirus will be a mild illness
Facts
If you or anyone in your household have symptoms of coronavirus illness, however mild, stay at home for 14 days from when your symptoms started.
Those most vulnerable and at high risk of the coronavirus are currently:
> The elderly
> Those with chronic diseases
> Those with a weakened immune system, for example, because of chemotherapy or HIV
> Those with respiratory illnesses
> Those pregnant
Now I have a question for you…..
From the list of those most vulnerable above, which of those are not at risk from catching a common cold or any other bug/illness such as sickness and diarrhoea?
Where has our nations common sense gone? Have you never heard the rhyme “Coughs and sneezes spread diseases”? If you have a family member that has sickness and diarrhoea, you are always advised to keep the patient at home for 48 hours. When you have common Flu, the NHS guidelines state you’re more likely to give it to others in the first 5 days – so stay at home and rest.
We have all been told for years….
> wash your hands often with warm water and soap
> use tissues to trap germs when you cough or sneeze
> bin used tissues as quickly as possible
Yes, it is scary that COVID-19 has killed people, but so has Cancer, Flu, Drink Driving and Suicide (to name but a few).
But do you know what is scaring me most? It’s the effect that COVID-19 is having on our mental health and the mental well-being of our children; this is something that will scar for a lifetime.
Our children are witnessing mass hysteria, selfishness and uncertainty. They are hearing people talk about closing their schools, they are witnessing their parents panic about getting food and nappies for the next week and they are worrying about their grandparents getting poorly, be confused and not being able to look after themselves. And they are seeing people worrying about loosing their homes if they can’t work.
Stop and think for a minute, if our children are told to stay home and not go to school, who is going to look after them? Parent’s? Ok, a few days holiday might work, but what if it is for 2 or 4 weeks like proposed? Can working parents afford financially to take a leave for that amount of time? Because don’t forget, we have the summer holidays in July too. So, us parents have one week and then who’s going to have the kiddies? Grandparents?? Is that the best option? Are we not encouraging the most vulnerable to look after our children?
And what about the parents that can afford to take the time off? What about the businesses they work for? Who is going to do their work for them? Is the business going to cope with such a high level of staff not at work? How many parents work for the emergency services? How can you be looked after by medical professionals if they are at home looking after their children while the schools are closed?
You want a lockdown? You have a self maintaining home whereby you can feed yourself and loved ones from your own grown resources? Because if we are on lockdown, why should the supermarkets open? Why should the emergency services continue to be of assistance? What makes your life so more important than their life?
Is this the example we should show our future generations?
Is this the example shown by our previous generations at the time of rationing and war?
No, previously they pulled together. They waited, they looked after each other, they listened to the facts and acted accordingly. There was no social media to create hysteria or to feed the negativity. They looked around them, they made sure they got what they needed with food and water, had walks and looked after their communities.
We need to start pulling together, we need to be offering help and assistance to those most at risk and the vulnerable. We need to drink plenty of water, have a healthy balanced diet and go out for a walk to get some light exercise – all of which we have been told by our medical professionals for years!
We need to show our children how to beat this!
Please, spread love, spread kindness and have some common sense. ❤
Dixon Darlings 