Day 5
This is my fifth day in isolation, my second with my family. On Friday night I developed a cough, muscle fatigue and a slight fever. On Monday night, following the announcements made by Boris Johnson, my family also went into isolation with me. Because of all of these measures, we will not be leaving isolation for another nine days at least. The only reasons anyone in my family has left the house since Monday evening has been to walk the dog, and to rescue my sister from University, as she was facing weeks alone in a house with no way of getting back. (Honestly, I can’t imagine what it is like for my student friends who have faced an abrupt end to their final year. A time when they should be celebrating, not a time of uncertainty. My thoughts and prayers go out to you all.)
The last few days have been an interesting experience. I was naïve in thinking self-isolation would be easy, because I was used to being on my own for most of the day anyway. But I think I took social interaction for granted before. And being stuck in a room 24/7 is not as ideal as it sounds, even if it is your own space. I felt a bit like Rapunzel, sitting up in my tower watching everyone outside going about their daily lives. Longing to call down for rescue, but knowing they would not be willing to help. The only thing that really got me through was my family. They ensured I was ok, brought me what I needed. It somehow felt normal. Now, however, we are all stuck in this together.
I have to admit that there was a pang of guilt when my family had to isolate with me. Seeing them stress over cancelling plans and work was horrible. But I think you get over that feeling when you realise that wallowing in unnecessary guilt is not going to help you when you live in close proximity with people for an extended period.
One of the main blessings I think I have taken for granted is the connectivity social media can bring. Whilst I was in isolation, every five minutes I would get a notification about some new measures brought in, some new terrifying statistics, some other celebrity diagnosis. But turning to Facebook and Instagram no longer filled me with dread. When I scrolled through my feeds, all I seemed to come across was funny posts which lightened my spirits, or offers of help from people of all walks of life. It showed me the power of social media as a force for good. Not a place where people of differing views berate each other, or a sounding board for negativity. The base of humanity has now seemingly returned to love and compassion. I find it fascinating how in times of trouble and distress, we start to view each other in this way. Yet in times of normality we do not offer the same. We keep to ourselves. If we learn anything from this experience, it should be to rediscover our community spirit.
Another thing I realised was how lucky I was to be able to open these apps and ask for help within seconds. Whereas those with lack of internet or understanding of social media do not have this luxury. The people we need to reach out to most are the elderly in our communities and the impoverished. Because the evil of this virus isn’t the illness it causes but the loneliness that comes alongside the measures used to contain its spread. Our souls need food in these times as much as our bodies. If there is a time to breach generational gaps, that time is now.
As I sit here and cough through the writing of this post, I would like to say that this isn’t a time for panic but for calm. We should use this time wisely. Instead of binge watching Netflix, or any other streaming service, we should use some of our time to speak to those over the phone who are vulnerable. Show them we care, and we are there, no matter their political persuasion or religious views. It’s a time for coming together, not mass hysteria. When we look back at this moment, let’s make it something to be proud of. Not a time of darkness, but when darkness was overcome by light and hope. We have got through these moments before. We can overcome them again.
Fay Dragon 