COVID-19 may not be new, but it’s time for a renewed commitment

COVID-19 has created an uncertain, unpredictable, frightening, and difficult year. And we all feel the angst that comes with looking ahead and facing many unknowns, chief of which: when will we get back to normal? We recognize we’re still facing an uphill climb.

The rapid-fire information we face every day in the news, during press briefings, and on social media, combined with the non-stop discussions that seem to happen with our friends, colleagues, and family, is a lot to process. COVID-19 fatigue is real. We all feel it, we all want to get through this, we all want to be safe, and we all want to protect our loved ones.

Whether you’re a parent navigating the worry of your kids in school, a young adult facing financial hardships, a single person trying to find unique ways to stay connected, or a child facing a new learning environment and social life—each one of us is dealing with our own experience. Yet, we are also part of one considerable collective experience like nothing we’ve been through; this links us together in a communal understanding.

However, not everyone is experiencing this together. We’re seeing inequities that also must be addressed. The virus doesn’t discriminate, but its impacts do. Some people face greater risks; some face worse outcomes. This means we have to protect others with our individual actions, behaviours, and choices. And truly ‘being in it together’ means some of us may have to carry more of the burden.

As we transition into Fall/Winter, respiratory illness/influenza season, and witnessing increasing case counts during the summer, it’s hard not to feel worry, frustration, and perhaps some anger that we have to live in such a restricted world. These are all normal feelings; but this is not a normal time. So, how do we continue to adapt to our ‘new normal’ that doesn’t feel so new anymore?

The good news is that recent modelling is showing fewer infections for each case of COVID-19 in recent weeks and each case is now transmitting to fewer than 1 one person.

We’ve already proven we know how to flatten the curve—we just have to recommit now to flattening and keeping it flat over the coming months. This means we’ve become skilled at knowing what to do and how to stay safe. And that’s the renewal we need. Will you join us? 

Here are a few important things to remember as we refresh our commitment:

• No one measure is the solution. We must use our hierarchy of protection.

• COVID-19 is spreading in the community. This means it’s our job to protect our community—our friends, family, neighbours, and especially those most vulnerable.
• This is a new virus. As new information arises, it doesn’t mean prior evidence was wrong. Experts are learning and adapting everyday. Stay aware and up-to-date, but give yourself breathing room and remember it’s okay to take a break. We’ve been creating easy sources to help, check out our COVID-19 resources.
• Each time we interact with others, we increase the risk of virus spread. Even if we think we are ‘only seeing a few friends,’ we don’t always know who those friends are also seeing. Find unique ways to interact, especially for those without a ‘household,’ such as virtual gatherings. It’s important to have togetherness as best we can.
• We must return to being vigilant, staying the course, and putting in hard work now—for if we do that hard work now, we will be back to normal sooner.

Looking back to some words from a blog post in April, we also want to renew a message of hope:

When we get through COVID-19, we will all remember what it felt like to support each other, to take individual actions and make individual choices to protect the collective good – and we will keep going. We will apply this to our broader concept of health, how we resource our health and our healthcare systems, and how we live in and respect the world and people around us. Because small things we can all do, can make a huge impact. It’s that simple.

We’re committed to helping British Columbians weather this storm. We couldn’t do this without our donors and partners, and we want to say thank you to those who are supporting our efforts. We hope you will continue to join us as we commit to supporting BC’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response.

There’s no blame game. There’s no shame game. Just a fact: we have the strength and resiliency to keep going and renew our commitment, our togetherness, and our pledge to look out for one another.