LockdownReflections for Covid-19 Lockdown
Who could put it better than Pope Francis?
Here is the link to his Urbi et Orbi speech (solo in St Peters Square on a damp gloomy evening, 27 March 2020) |
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In March 2020, for the first time in New Zealand history, people are forced to stay away from each other. The arrival of coronavirus and the Covid-19 flu has triggered a nation-wide crisis, and the key tool for containing the virus is isolation. This comes at an enormous economic cost to our country, and it also comes at a huge mental health cost. Every business, organisation, family and individual is affected. Our way of being community is shaken to the core, including how we are church. It requires of every church a re-thinking of how to support each other, and new strategies for pastoral care. This essay seeks to outline the contours of a Christian approach to the supporting the mental health of people in the light of national lockdown and self isolation. It will discuss the effects of isolation on mental health, and suggest possible strategies for church-based pastoral care.
Covid-19 is a viral infection caused by the virus known commonly as coronavirus. It is contagious and potentially lethal, and is significantly impacting every country in the world. Commentator Siouxsie Wiles has been appreciated in the media for her ability to put things simply in both verbal and visual ways. She explains the health challenge, summarising the international statistics: “During an outbreak, if we can’t control the spread of the disease, then the number of sick people quickly rises. For Covid-19 we know this: about two out of every 10 people will need to be hospitalised for between two and six weeks. About one in 20 people will end up in intensive care, and one in a hundred will need a ventilator to help them breathe.”[1] The primary transmitter of the virus is through small drops of liquid known as respiratory droplets which can move from one person’s lungs into another person’s lungs via the air or touching droplets on a surface and then touching one’s face.[2]
International experience has demonstrated the effectiveness of isolation and travel restrictions in containing the spread of the virus. Self isolation for 14 days was encouraged then imposed by the NZ government for all arrivals into the country on 15 March 2020, then 26 March the nation went into full lockdown, with essential services only continue to function. No face-to-face meetings or group gatherings are permitted for at least four weeks.
The goal of self isolation is to have no physical contact with other people. This primarily involves staying home, in a separate room from others in the house if ill, not touching or being physically close to other people, not sharing food or objects (e.g. towels) and practicing strict standards of hygiene at all times. Going outside is permitted, as there is less chance of transmitting virus-containing fluids in the outdoors,[3] but only near home, and only with people one is living with.
[1] Siouxsie Wiles, “After ‘Flatten the Curve’, we must now ‘Stop the Spread’. Here’s what that means.” The Spinoff website, accessed 20 March 2020. <https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/14-03-2020/after-flatten-the-curve-we-must-now-stop-the-spread-heres-what-that-means/>
[2] “How COVID-19 Spreads.” Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed 20 March 2020. <https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/transmission.html>
[3] Official guidelines on “COVID-19 – Self-isolation.” The Ministry of Health website, NZ Govt, accessed 20 March 2020. <https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-novel-coronavirus-health-advice-general-public/covid-19-self-isolation>
Covid-19 is a viral infection caused by the virus known commonly as coronavirus. It is contagious and potentially lethal, and is significantly impacting every country in the world. Commentator Siouxsie Wiles has been appreciated in the media for her ability to put things simply in both verbal and visual ways. She explains the health challenge, summarising the international statistics: “During an outbreak, if we can’t control the spread of the disease, then the number of sick people quickly rises. For Covid-19 we know this: about two out of every 10 people will need to be hospitalised for between two and six weeks. About one in 20 people will end up in intensive care, and one in a hundred will need a ventilator to help them breathe.”[1] The primary transmitter of the virus is through small drops of liquid known as respiratory droplets which can move from one person’s lungs into another person’s lungs via the air or touching droplets on a surface and then touching one’s face.[2]
International experience has demonstrated the effectiveness of isolation and travel restrictions in containing the spread of the virus. Self isolation for 14 days was encouraged then imposed by the NZ government for all arrivals into the country on 15 March 2020, then 26 March the nation went into full lockdown, with essential services only continue to function. No face-to-face meetings or group gatherings are permitted for at least four weeks.
The goal of self isolation is to have no physical contact with other people. This primarily involves staying home, in a separate room from others in the house if ill, not touching or being physically close to other people, not sharing food or objects (e.g. towels) and practicing strict standards of hygiene at all times. Going outside is permitted, as there is less chance of transmitting virus-containing fluids in the outdoors,[3] but only near home, and only with people one is living with.
[1] Siouxsie Wiles, “After ‘Flatten the Curve’, we must now ‘Stop the Spread’. Here’s what that means.” The Spinoff website, accessed 20 March 2020. <https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/14-03-2020/after-flatten-the-curve-we-must-now-stop-the-spread-heres-what-that-means/>
[2] “How COVID-19 Spreads.” Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed 20 March 2020. <https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/transmission.html>
[3] Official guidelines on “COVID-19 – Self-isolation.” The Ministry of Health website, NZ Govt, accessed 20 March 2020. <https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-novel-coronavirus-health-advice-general-public/covid-19-self-isolation>