Lockdown

It’s official, our Prime Minister Boris Johnson has significantly curbed the majority, if not all social gatherings of more than 2! It’s an historic move, that even opposers of Boris are congratulating him for. Something needed to be done! In a time where I feel, the public needed a firm direction from the beginning. I was hoping for some Iron Lady-esqe, Thatacher type of British telling off as Boris addressed the nation. But instead, the PM was stern, interwoven with genuine concern. If not, a little worried that the British public could be so defiant. I could help but feel there are things outside of comprehension that he still has to tackle with, knowing what the delivery of this message will do for some people. The wispy, blonde haired PM looked disappointed as he told off 60 million children for their utter lack of compassion for one another and disrespect for our already struggling National Health Service. We were all given a chance to use our discretion to help stem the stead of the virus and instead, tubes were still packed like sardines and we all decided to go chill in a park over the weekend! If it wasn’t just two days ago, whilst I was walking the dogs, a group of Gen Zs are playing basketball, spitting through the fence shouting “Coronavirus”. They childishly giggle, dribbling the balls, rollin around on the floor as of any of this is a joke. Increasingly, I worry about the health of my grandmother and parents as they all have underlying health conditions; this could prove fatal for all of them. I keep thinking of asymptomatic individuals, grouping like this, passing it on, and it eventually transmitting to a vulnerable person. This is a serious, scary and unprecedented time. So unprecedented, the government is issuing grants to supplement people’s wages. Seriously enough the economy is taking a massive hit; some businesses actively making the decision to close well before the PM’s announcement. Scary as this virus threatens death to vulnerable and elderly people, of which I know and love. Money keeps the world turning, secondarily. Primarily it’s us, people, who initiates the spin and tops it up.

Yet, I cannot wholly call the behaviour of the British public selfish. Maybe it’s a weird sense of carpe deim. In comparison to our current situation, the upside is, we are all off together. If this were ten years ago, technology wouldn’t even allow us to socialise in a group fashion over WebEx or even FaceTime so successfully or easily. A conference call would have been the height of our interaction, and even that would require some business/enterprise account. We FaceTime conference easily, we can create Netflix viewing groups, WhatsApp call internationally, over blazing fast fibre optic connection to every corner of the globe. But the reality is, this lockdown and close of business, shouldn’t be an excuse to physically visit your friend or family member. As far as I’m concerned, Mother’s Day two days ago was cancelled. I refused to visit my Nana and stay for some, good old fashioned soul food, because I want her to be around for many more years to come. The government has made a stellar move similar to that of the Spanish Flu pandemic. For context, from 1918-1920 the Spanish flu infected roughly 500 million people. At that time, it was a quarter of the world’s population. That’s 2 billion strong compared to our almost 8 billion now 100 years later. The estimated deaths from the pandemic was 17-50 million people. If we conservatively guesstimate that 20 million people died of flu alone during those 2 years, that equates to 1% of the world’s population. That doesn’t account for deaths due to the war or anything else. We right now, haven’t faced anything as close to home as this before. I cannot help but think that our cavalier attitude to this, is due to our disconnect to real threats to our way of life.

We have only read about cases of epidemics, I know I have. This is firsts time I have ever known of something affecting everyone I know, hands down without exception. One epidemic we have successfully culled is Smallpox. A devastating virus causing fever, vomiting and skin sores leaving horrible scars. The mortality rate was 30% and even higher in children. Due to swift action and compulsory testing, a vaccine was created and is now available in 100 countries. In 1980, WHO (World Health Organisation) officially announced the eradication of this virus. HIV, another virus that attacks the immune system, grinding it down to nothing where it becomes a syndrome, AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Minor infections are fatal, as the body has no defence mechanism. When this disease become apparent it was first called GRID (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency). In the early 1980’s gay men were dying of then unknown immune deficiency illness. By 1983, officially recorded AIDS cases were above 3000 with 1200 dying from the disease. 1985 saw the first antiviral drug manufactured to combat this illness, but at this point every region in the world had reported cases of HIV. A nasty stigma was being attached to gay men for the transmission of this disease. Thousands upon thousands of men were dying from this and to some, it was designed to rid the world of sin; God’s will. A toxic ideology pinned to gay men spread quicker than HIV itself. It wasn’t until heterosexuals, recently out of surgery, were being infected without ever taking intravenous drugs or having gay sex. Unscreened blood donations of unknowingly affected individuals was the cause. It became a world issue, when it was realised this virus has only one preference, infecting people. This isn’t taking account other methods of transmission. For example, the sharing of intravenous equipment for recreational drug use, and lack of sexual health education. In the UK, Section 28 was passed at the height of the HIV epidemic, making the promotion of homosexuality illegal as well any teaching of homosexuality being accepted. Fast forward to present day, drugs are now successful helping people lead next to normal lives. The medication is exceptional at lowering the replication rate of the virus. Someone with HIV positive on medication cannot pass the virus on to others. They are undetectable and un-transmittable, U=U. A slogan designed at dispelling the stigma, and educating people about HIV/AIDS.

Our current situation with COVID-19, we have identified the symptoms, developed preventative measure to slow the transmission. Why would people not take heed and follow them? Outbreaks of Ebola, MERS and SARS, whilst epidemics, affected certain regions, wit certain countries only experiencing from other side of the media lens. Whilst COVID-19 isn’t the same as HIV or SmallPox, the point here, we have a real chance of standing in front of this. Managing the transmission, intelligent allocation of our resources to focus on, in the moment treatment and, future treatment and viral management. If we don’t follow social distancing stringently, if we don’t say no to meeting loved ones unless absolutely necessary, wash our hands and avoid using public transport where possible, this won’t get better fast. We will be in a world much different to where we are right now, and not positively either.

The isolation and lack of recreations is now starting to take toll. Parks only for essential exercise, no gym, no cinema, no concerts, no nothing?! I am an introvert that loves a high pressured environments. My job is just that, but my job also relies on people, a lot of people. At any one time I can interact with 200 people a day, The majority of which will be staff. I am lucky that I’m in a relationship too, and can bounce off my partner. I have someone that can drive me nuts. Ordinarily, I would be at home, alone, driving myself insane. The solitary confinement is where out mental health becomes fragile. The space where misery loves company, the company being depression, anxiety and god knows what else. My mind crosses to the men specifically, that have been brought up to have stiff upper lips and to just get on with it. The macho ones that don’t talk about their feelings because they were told it is weak and not masculine. The ones who are at home, stuck under government imposed house arrest, building poor coping mechanisms off the back of fragile toxic masculinity; the foundation for which their whole being as a man in this worlds rests on. Or even those men infected with COVID-19 and still want to be a man and behave independently. It’s around this lockdown time that really highlights the change we need as people. Social interaction is key to our well being, but so is vulnerability and humility. Misery doesn’t have to have company if we combat it together. Finding creative ways to help each other, check in, a virtual handshake, virtual book clubs, Netflix viewing rooms and a cuddle until we can all physically cuddle again. With technology as advanced as it is, we can still be connected just as well as being face to face. We can see, sense and hear all of your familiar nuances that makes me feel still connected to you in uncertain times. We need to talk about our newly imposed social cages, and how the isolation is making us reset and evaluate things we have taken for granted. I have three nights this week where we are going to drink our favourite tipple over FT conference, and talk utter nonsense, just like normal. Whilst in the process saving some money on buying everyone a round. We need, I need, everyone as much now, than ever before in our history together. Whilst unprecedented and unknown, this is the time where we really find out who we are and what we are capable of.