The new term is starting up again soon and all though some students have already returned earlier in the year, this will be the first time that almost everyone will be back in education. This is a sign of the lockdown easing even further. More and more people are going back into public places such as schools and workplaces so it’s important that we talk about why it’s we should all be following the government guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-29. 

When this pandemic first emerged in December of 2019, it was something that did not worry many people. Now, it has dramatically changed the last half a year and will continue to affect us for the foreseeable future. As far as scientists can tell, the virus is transferred through droplets in the air. This means that it can be breathed in or picked up from surfaces. Considering that all humans breathe the same air and seem to be constantly touching things, it makes sense that when we were not aware of its method of transmission, it spread wildly across countries and borders. When the governments of the globe tell you to wear face masks, it’s so that we cannot emit or take in droplets of coronavirus while hand sanitizer and keeping our hands clean is to stop the spread from the things we touch. This is our way of helping to protect not only ourselves and our families, but also those that might be considered more vulnerable to the infection. 

People with weak immune systems or few defences against diseases and infections are more likely to get infected and are less likely to be able to fight it off. For example, cancer patients are more likely to die from the coronavirus, with an average of around 23% of cancer patients dying from the coronavirus after developing the disease, with 88% being hospitalised, more so older males and people with cancers of the throat. Data from New York shows that the percentage of complications with ventilators was around 39% for those who had had kidney transplants and had Covid-19. A similar study was done in Iran, yielding results of 75%, which is a far higher number. Mortality rates for transplant patients range from 5% to 67% showing that the stake is higher for those with immunodeficiencies. Some people have to suppress there an immune system for other medications or treatments, such as transplants, to work. 

This pandemic puts us all in danger and while it is natural to consider our own risk and the risk towards those we care about, we should also be considerate of those who are at a greater risk. There were many people who were already ill before this virus hit, who now have to worry about their death coming before they can get better. Not only that but the families of those who are most at risk have to live with the constant daunting feeling that they could lose their loved ones at any moment. It is important that we are each responsible enough to not be responsible for any more loss. 

Sources

–https://coronavirusexplained.ukri.org/en/article/und0002/#:~:text=The%20second%20is%20indirect%20evidence,had%20not%20yet%20developed%20symptoms.– https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa863/5864040