I am Irene. I live in Doncaster United Kingdom. I am originally from Uganda.

The days just before lockdown were quite scary and full of anxiety. It was hard to buy some essential items because many people resorted to emptying the supermarket shelves by buying in bulk. Empty shelves became a norm.  Then supermarkets started rationing essential items like toilet paper, long-life milk, among others so that they could help as many people as possible. Things have since returned to normal.

One cannot ignore the fact that we have resorted to treating each other with suspicion. The occasional awkward stare when one violates the 2m-apart rule says it all. One cannot cough or sneeze freely in public without attracting negative attention. The weather is getting better but it’s impossible to enjoy it as it’s against the lockdown guidelines to leave home without an essential need.

My sister lives in Manchester and this is the longest I have gone without visiting her. My daughter turns 1 in a months’ time. However, my family cannot join us for the celebration. We have resorted to WhatsApp video calls and zoom meetings to catch up on life with friends.

Positively life has slowed down a bit hence enabling me to concentrate on a few areas that I had ignored. I have greatly improved my baking skills. I have also focused on an online business I had always ignored.

The daily news update on the pandemic is scary yet much needed to keep track of the progress. I cannot start imagining the economic impact this is going to have on the entire world.  Praying to God daily and hoping that every day brings us a step closer to the end of this deadly pandemic.

 

Editor’s note: Irene is a nurse in the United Kingdom but was on maternity leave at the time of writing and thus she didn’t have first-hand information on the work life of a frontline health professional during the COVID-19 health crisis.