Once upon a time, there was a man who could ride a motorcycle. That man was not me. That man could stay working during the pandemic! I cannot. Well, not in my normal way.

I had a call this morning from one of my lovely supervisors, and together they have managed to sort things out for me to be able to work from home. I won’t be doing my usual role, as that can only be performed in the office, but this is a part of it that I enjoy and I’m glad I’ll still be able to contribute to the team in any way at all. I’m still frustrated at not being able to carry on as normal, but I have accepted it a bit more now, and I certainly understand why.

This virus spares nobody. It doesn’t pick and choose, it just keeps going. There is no sense to it, no pattern or plan. When I think of it in general, the first word that springs to mind is scary. Plain and simple. I am not afraid to admit that it scares me. The thing that scares me more, though, is how relaxed other people are. This time last year, we as a nation were blissfully unaware of what was to come. There was nothing but a small news article here and there, talking about a new strain of flu that was making people ill in Asia. Now tough, we have all seen the effects of it far too much. We’ve heard the daily briefings, we’ve seen the graphs in newspapers, we’ve felt it when it’s come too close for comfort. Yet still, there are people blatantly flaunting the rules. All over instagram, facebook, twitter… take your pick of social media. Why is it that people don’t care any more? Is it that this has been going on so long that it’s classed as normal? Is it that people feel like the rules don’t apply to them? Or is it that they just don’t care?

People all over this planet have been affected by this virus. There have been many different reactions, mostly positive. From following the rules, clapping for carers, using the app, this country has shown more than ever that in a time of crisis we can come together. Now though, it feels as though that unity has gone, and for what? This is not about reclaiming freedom. This is not about living life normally. This is about saving the lives of others, particularly those who are classed as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable. People like me.

If we can hold it together for a while longer, just until this vaccine rollout gets to a point where we’re safe, then we will make life a whole lot easier for everyone. Here’s hoping that we can manage that long.