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Covid-19: Lives on the receiving end of the pandemic

Dubai - A strange aloofness in our meetings and greetings is felt more acutely by a generation that still craves personal touch. And this is exactly what the pandemic has deprived them of

I don’t remember being as thrilled about a year finally coming to an end as I was about 2020 becoming a thing of the past. But when I called my maternal grandmother in Delhi to wish her on New Year’s Eve, the voice that greeted me was anything but cheerful. Lying on the bed, wrapped in multiple layers of blankets to protect herself from the biting end-December cold, she was curious about celebrations that were taking place in this part of the world. I drew a vivid picture of the fanfare that Dubai had lived up to yet again. For a moment, I saw my grandmother’s face light up on Zoom. Knowing how much she loves the city, I told her I’d bring her over to Dubai when things were better.

Her response was a far cry from the woman known for her zest for life. The end of the pandemic, my grandmother said, will coincide with that of hers. Why? For 10 months, she had not stepped outside her home. At 93, she is quite fit for her age and would go for a routine walk around the neighbourhood prior to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. People who once greeted her in the park are now confined to their home. The number of phone calls that once came to check on her health have steadily decreased. Some of her friends contracted SARS-CoV-2 that causes Covid-19 — a few survived, while the rest succumbed to it. Condolences were extended over phone calls, as it was risky to attend funerals. Her son’s mobile screen became her window to the world she wants to participate in, but cannot. Life, she’s certain, will simply pass her by.

Despite the silver linings we associate with the year gone by — ‘time to pause, reflect and revitalise’ — 2020 has changed the very contours of life for our elderly. Most find themselves battling a strange paradox — while social distancing is important to stay safe, the isolation that comes with it can wreak havoc psychologically.

If the ordeal is felt by those who stay home with families, it’s no less painful for those that stay at care home facilities.

Recently, an article in The Atlantic delved into what this social isolation meant for those who live in care homes. Calling it a “social recession”, the article threw up numbers that point to the devastating impact the pandemic has had on the well-being of the elderly in the US. Quoting a survey, it suggests that only 5 per cent had visitors thrice a week, compared to more than half before the virus. Most care home patients were also found to be wary of leaving the facility to go for a meal or shopping, compared with 40 per cent that would do so prior to Covid-19. While many were left without creative activities, such as art classes or group exercise, they also reduced socialising with their peers.

Modern living is not without its share of contradictions. On one hand, we pride ourselves in being part of an age that has made communication easier and helped us survive in the time of social distancing. On the other, experts suggest it has also turned us more aloof. There is considerable truth in that claim. Sometimes, even the most extroverted among us, are content with wishing a person standing in front of us online, rather than in person. This solitary existence works for us — not simply because we have mastered the modern tools of communication, but also because it often lessens the (perceived) burden of investing in someone more intimately. This strange aloofness in our meetings and greetings is felt more acutely by a generation that still craves personal touch. And this is exactly what the pandemic has deprived them of.

A ray of hope has emerged in the form of Covid-19 vaccines that have been authorised for use for frontline workers and senior citizens. Intending to bring cheer to my grandmother, I told her she may not have to be isolated for very long. “But who’ll bring back these 10 months when I could still walk properly? When you reach my age, time is precious.” Indeed, it is!

— anamika@khaleejtimes.com