How do we take shelter from the gathering CoVID-19 storm?
Reading The Guardian piece ‘The UK’s gathering Covid-19 autumn storm’, one line in particular stands-out; “August was a month to try to get away from CoVID-19. But September will be when reality strikes”.
Photo by Tore F on Unsplash
It sounds gloomy, but sadly it could very much be true.
As the summer draws to a close, a public familiar with socialising once again outside in the sunshine will now want to head indoors. This will very likely put a new spring into CoVID-19’s step.
As The Telegraph reports, “the Government is keen to avoid a second UK lockdown. However…nationwide restrictions cannot be ruled out should England see a spike in coronavirus cases this winter”. To help avoid this from happening, it’s vital people remain safe and have the confidence that they aren’t being exposed to unnecessary risk – whether that be from them returning to work, sending their kids into the classroom, enjoying a meal out or going to any place a crowd might gather
Getting this next phase in the CoVID-19 journey right is nothing short of critical.
Wearing face masks when required should be a given, as social distancing should be too, but these measures can’t always be applied to every situation. Take first aid for instance. Parents must feel confident that should their child fall seriously ill, or even unconscious, in the classroom, the first aid staff at the school will feel safe enough to perform CPR or any measures needed until paramedics arrive.
Situations like this require a whole array of new equipment and protective measures or people will naturally feel torn between their desire to help their friends, colleagues or charges and the deep-rooted, primeval fear of an unseen, uncertain danger.
The CoVID-19 Public Monitor run by analytics firm, YouGov, shows that despite a small uptick since mid-August, the number of people in the UK and US who believe the situation is getting better in their country is almost half what it was in May – currently 41% and 28% respectively. Likewise, 63% of the US public and 48% in the UK are still very concerned that they will contract CoVID-19. Fears around jobs, education and financial stability fuel the worry experienced by almost 75% of people in both countries that CoVID-19 will have a long-lasting negative impact on society.
With that in mind, we need to still give serious, continuing consideration to the question of ‘how do we build people’s confidence that things will be better whilst also keeping them safe’? How can people go about their daily lives without driving second, third and fourth ‘waves’?
And, it doesn’t just go for CoVID-19 either. The pandemic has highlighted how vulnerable society really is towards infectious disease in general. Vaccines are obviously ideal, but clinical trials and building public trust in regular inoculations takes time. Until then, we need to look at making fit-for-purpose shielding equipment available and affordable to the point that it’s ready to deploy whenever and wherever it’s needed, and at a moment’s notice. AerosolShield, for example, can easily accompany any workplace first aid kit. In the unfortunate situation where resuscitation, compressions or close monitoring of a colleague is needed until front-liners arrive, a pop-up shield can help keep first aiders safe from potential infection and empower them to follow their instincts to help as needed.
With summer sunshine slowly ending, we need to find more ways to stay safe inside. Heading back to life indoors might look like the perfect conditions for CoVID-19 to thrive, but there are simple ways in which we can lessen its impact; and these are far more cost-effective and much more accessible than many people may think.
Mat Campbell-Hill is the Lead Designer & Co-Owner of AerosolShield