Coronavirus: Putting Things Into Perspective

How are we all coping at the moment? Are things becoming easier or more difficult as time passes? Most people are now taking things seriously, with some coping better than others, but sometimes things happen that can make us all worry a bit more, like a 13 year old boy dying in London recently.

I ddarllen yr erthygl hon yn Gymraeg, clicia yma

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Hearing about someone close to your age dying, someone who didn’t have any obvious health problems, might cause you to panic more about things, but Meic is here to help and put things into perspective.

This is a situation that none of us have been in before. It’s new to all of us, and it can be difficult to know how to react to it. Staying at home and socially distancing are measures that have been introduced by the Government to protect us all. It’s simple – the more we don’t mix with other people, the less likely we are to catch Covid-19.

Putting things into perspective

The truth is that a lot of people are getting sick, and people are dying because of this virus. This is why it’s really important to follow everything the Government is telling us to do. But to put things into perspective, most people who catch the virus only show mild symptoms and will get better. The majority of people that die from the virus are still older people over 75 years old. There may be cases where seemingly healthy and younger people are dying with the virus, but these are rare. Because the media is going to report more on healthy and younger people dying from the virus, it will make it seem more common than it actually is.

While the number of deaths every day is really worrying, we must remember that the population of the UK is just under 68 million. Percentage wise, the number of people who are getting ill and of course, in some cases, sadly dying, is still quite low. But because the number of those dying is concentrated in such a short period of time, it seems much worse. It can take up to 14 days for someone who catches the virus to show symptoms of it, this means that even though we have been self-isolating for some time now, the number of deaths will continue to rise. The hope is that these numbers will soon start coming down as less and less people are being exposed to the virus. So it’s important that we do our bit, we must be patient and follow Government advice until things get better.

Some helpful things to think about

Consider where you’re getting your information on Coronavirus. BBC’s Newsround, for example, has up to date information for children and young people that comes from scientists and medical professionals, as well as the latest advice that the government gives.

Try to limit the amount of time you watch the news and go on social media. Only use the NHS site to check symptoms or diagnose yourself. You should only be taking advice from a professional.

Looking after your mental well-being is really important. Make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep, eating well and taking part in some activities at home. Joe Wicks has daily workouts on his YouTube, you might be able to find a free concert online, read a good book or listen to one for free through audible. Check out the list of things to do in our recent article.

If you’re feeling stressed or anxious there are organisations that you can contact for support like Young Minds, CALL or Meic. We also have a number of other articles on the Meic website that might help.

Things you can do to help keep yourself and others safe

Don’t go out – unless you really have to. The only reasons you should be going out are:

• To do essential shopping
• For health reasons (picking up a prescription maybe)
• To go to work (if you can’ work from home). Key workers (e.g. doctors, nurses, carers, delivery drivers, teachers, postal workers etc. are not included in this rule. They HAVE to go out.
• To exercise. Remember though, you have to stay local to your home. You’re allowed to go out for one form of exercise a day (walking, running, riding a bike etc.). Don’t travel anywhere by car to do this, start and finish your exercise at your home. Don’t meet with friends when you do this, only exercise with the people who live in your home.

However, if you do have to go out (for any of the reasons listed above) remember to keep your distance from other people – always stay 2 meters away from other people, this is 6.5ft (or one Stormzy!)

And finally, don’t meet with friends or family – We know this is really, really hard. It’s a huge challenge for everyone to not do things we do normally, like hang out with friends or get a big cwtch from a family member. Try to make this easier by chatting on the phone or through video calls (teaching your grandparents some technology skills might be something you can help with).

Need to talk?

Sometimes though, whatever you might try, it can be hard to pull yourself out of those feelings of despair or anxiety. If you’re worried about anything and want to talk things through with someone, then you can always contact the Meic helpline. Whether it’s about the coronavirus, or anything else, our advisors are trained to help children and young people in Wales by giving them information, advice or advocacy. They’ll always do their best to help.