I am currently visiting my parents who, last year, moved to live on a very remote island in the middle of the South Atlantic – so remote and with such limited medical staff that they have had to take Covid really seriously, for the entirety of the pandemic. Luckily enough for me, that means that the island is, and has always been, entirely Covid free. There is zero risk of Covid. After a few days of living on a Covid free island, I am beginning, slowly, to process quite how much of an impact Covid has had on my life back at home.
I think, first and foremost, knowing that there is no risk of Covid here has lifted a veil of worry that I have, almost unknowingly, carried since the beginning of the pandemic. I don’t have to spend every moment calculating the risk of what I am doing, or worrying about the risk of what I have done, and to say that that saves a lot of energy is a huge understatement. Strange as it might be, I am currently reveling in the joy of a sore throat, a headache, and cold-like symptoms (part of both my ME and hay fever) because I do not have to spiral into a panic that I may have Covid – which could potentially push me into the severe ME category. Who knew feeling sick could feel like a luxury!
Feeling safe is so important for people’s health, both physically and mentally, and I have just not had the luxury of that feeling of safety since the beginning of the pandemic – even in my own home, where my housemates have had to work throughout much of the pandemic. I don’t think I really even have the words to explain how calming it is not to feel on the brink of a huge relapse the whole time – one false move and everything could change.
Since being here, I have been amazed at the way in which people are so free with bodily contact, hugs, or just standing close together in crowded spaces – something that I have more or less been avoiding for the last two years. Yet here, suddenly, I am safe to do so, without having to judge whether the person or people around me seem to be taking Covid seriously or not. It makes it so much easier to meet people, relate to people and just interact with people, because I don’t need, immediately, to categorise them as safe or not safe – instead they are just people I can get to know, making it so much easier to be open and friendly. And as someone who has been rather lonely the last two years, being able to meet a lot of new people, hear new stories, and get new perspectives on things has been such a breath of fresh air – although I will say I am a little out of practice with small talk!
More superficially, since I have been out of the 10-day, compulsory quarantine which everyone must undertake, on arrival, I have been able to go to a small festival (everything here is small because the population of the island is only about 4,500 people) and I’ve been to a restaurant -both of which have felt very strange but luxurious. Admittedly, even pre-Covid, I didn’t really go to festivals or restaurants, but it’s so nice to have the opportunity to do so, here. Get this… I saw a live band and even danced to three songs before I was too tired and had to leave. This is something that, back home, would be completely unthinkable, at the moment.
Now that I’ve had the chance to take a step back, the health crash I have been experiencing in the last couple of years makes a little more sense. Not only have I been unable to get out and about, so have got out of practise, but I have also experienced a huge level of stress surrounding Covid, with very few outlets for dealing with that stress. Next to this, I have felt hugely isolated, and very lonely, having to shield while so many people have, several times over the last few years, claimed that Covid was over. Neither of these things is particularly good for anyone’s health, let alone someone who is already sick.
As I am lucky enough to have come to visit, I intend to make the most of this chance to feel safe and live without having to think much about Covid. Hopefully, the sea air and the warm weather will help me, slowly, to start building up some of my lost health. Even if it doesn’t, it sure is a breath of fresh air and an exciting chance to explore a very beautiful, very remote island.
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