Loneliness During the COVID Pandemic
By Jacobus Hollewijn
August 15, 2022
AgingCOVIDMental HealthShort Reads
The majority of 2020 and 2021 have been very hard on the elderly, students, and many who live alone
This is a longer version of a 1-minute radio ad that played in March of 2021
We have all seen pictures and videos of these folks looking on from behind their windows trying to talk to family and friends; and touching hands with the glass in-between.
At the time of this writing the COVID-Pandemic has held most of the world in its grip for more than a year, and has exposed high levels of LONELINESS amongst our populations.
It affects all generations:
- Most notably the isolated elderly in rest homes and hospitals who crave to see their spouses, children and grandchildren. And when they recently lost a spouse, they’re also suffer with grief and sadness. We have all seen pictures and videos of these folks looking on from behind their windows trying to talk to family and friends; and touching hands with the glass in-between. One of the big controversies became that family members were not allowed to come inside the building (hospital, rest home, rehab center), even with all precautions; while doctors, nurses, and therapists, who would go home to their families every evening, were considered not contagious after going in-and-out of the building daily…
- Then we have any adult living alone and who might have been laid off from work or perhaps was told to start working from home. It could be a single or divorced parent struggling to manage finances, closed schools, and personal self-care including physical touch and loving tenderness.
- And even though we think our youth is resilient when dealing with bumps in the road, there are reports about high numbers of teenagers and young adults taking their own lives. This is, in part, related to the many experimental rules and restrictions put into place during this last year, severely blocking our young people’s plans and dreams. Practically speaking, I know plenty of young people would still see each other, even without taking specific precautions. However, many families would live very strict under the COVID mandates, and many children would not be able to socialize with peers. Add to that the school shut-downs plus the in-school mask-wearing and social distancing; and you hear of many students being negatively affected in their learning capabilities, or their desire to attend school at all. On these young people it has had a very emotional, and potential long-lasting effect.
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