Being a Key Worker during a Global Pandemic

We are living in extremely strange times. The country has gone into lockdown (I'm from England), all bars, restaurants, gyms, cinemas, shopping centres and most shops are closed, and I'm not allowed to see my family. Strange, strange times.

The one thing that has been making this terrifying situation somewhat bearable, and which has been adding a sense of normality back into my life, is that I am still going to work.

Our government has told us to not travel to work unless we absolutely have to. Because there is no way that my job can be done from home and I work in a hospital, I am classed as a 'key worker'.

So what does being a key worker in a global pandemic mean for me? I know that my experience will be different to other key workers' experiences. And I think that a lot of the time, we forget that there are other key workers alongside the ones who work in hospitals and provide a duty of care to the public. We've got delivery drivers, bin men, factory workers, retail staff, teachers, technicians, builders, the list goes on and on and on (I've definitely forgotten some job roles, so if you're a key worker of any kind, then thank you). But here is what being a key worker means to me.

It means that my bus journeys are a lot quieter because the school kids don't get on it anymore. It also means that my bus journeys are a lot more lonely because my bus buddy has been redeployed to a different hospital and doesn't travel with me anymore. It means that my once relaxed hospital environment is now hectic and busy. It means that the staff don't want to stop in the hallway anymore to say hi and ask how you're doing because they're so rushed off their feet trying to look after their patients during a global pandemic. It means that my job role is entirely different now. It means that I get stressed more easily. It means that smiling at work takes more effort. It means that smiling at home takes more effort. It means that I lay all my problems on my partner, hoping he'll provide me with the support I so desperately need. It means that I've realised how the only person who can solve my problems is me. It means that even in my free time, the virus is still on my mind. It means that my favourite colleague has gone off sick, for fear of contracting the virus and passing it onto patients. It means that my makeup gets ruined through having to wear goggles and masks (but it also means that it doesn't bother me, as it's reducing the risk of the virus spreading). It means I've been sleeping badly. It means that the rainbows people have been putting on their windows and doors that I see on my daily commute make me smile more than anything. It means that I admire other key workers. It means that I am proud of myself. It means that I am contributing towards the day when we come out of lockdown and everyone is filled with immense happiness. It means that I get annoyed when people don't stay at home. But it means that despite all the stress, the tears, the anger, the anxiety, and the emotional-strain, there is hope that we are one step closer to getting through this. So I will continue to wake up at 5:30am every single day and go into work, not knowing what the day will bring but knowing that it is a day closer to the end of the global pandemic.

If you are staying at home and only leaving the house for essential trips, then thank you for keeping you and everyone else safe. This is a time to look out for each other. Imagine the day when this is all over. I have a feeling that it will be one of the best days of my life.

-bunnydiver.