We are all currently being bombarded with buzzwords, shaped by government and medical advisors, for a purpose. And the press and social media are identifying and repeating these words.
You’ll have noticed certain phrases being used again and again - unprecedented (times), quarantine, self-isolating/ion, pandemic, social-distancing, lockdown, hot/red zone, flattening the curve, underlying health issues, key workers, vulnerable people...
I hear war rhetoric from politicians. In the US, Trump declared himself a wartime president and talks of defeating a foreign virus, deliberately stoking nationalist fervour. In the UK, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said, “We have never, in peacetime, faced an economic fight like this one.” It is indeed a public health and financial emergency, requiring politicians to work together and mobilise citizens of the country and even the military. But I personally don’t think it’s anything like sending millions of young men to fight other countries over territory - this virus discriminates, but is not slaying people based on gender or race. And as with multiple sclerosis (MS), our community prefers to consider how best to live with, manage and control the chronic illness, not waste energy battling it.
And what do these new phrases mean to us? I’m not keen on the negativity of the language so I’m trying to reframe how I think about the words more positively. We have the power to give words meaning:
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Self-isolation - is this not more staying at home? Home is hopefully a happy place, not one of isolation, with loved ones, treasured memories, photographs, entertainment and a cafe!
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Quarantine - I’ve always thought this was for dogs and pets when travelling abroad. It conjures up a hostile picture of KEEP AWAY. But, as with animals, we all still need human kindness, attention and warmth.
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Lockdown - an emergency response, initiated by an authority, that prevents people from leaving an area. But now, governments are advising us to stay at home (see #1). We are having to get used to doing things differently and perhaps it’s good if they seem unnatural - not shaking hands/hugging, exercising alone, not going out - as we will all be desperate to get back to ‘normal’ as soon as possible.
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Social-distancing - now, the same as #1. But that doesn’t mean you have to social-distance completely or digitally - quite the opposite. It’s even more important to connect with friends, family and work colleagues online, to keep talking and keep in touch. The “social” is actually physical distancing.
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Working from home - but definitely not working ‘remotely’. We have so many ways to communicate with colleagues who may simply be dispersed physically. In fact we may be sharing our homes, our children, our lives and getting to know more work colleagues in different ways and during unusual, stressful circumstances. We are building stronger teams for the future. We are also creating new norms - a short virtual coffee break, Friday night drinks after work, cross-functional action teams...
(I also do understand authorities are trying to create phrases that are easy to understand and communicate. By creating social-distancing, officials have gotten across the need for physical distance in social settings where an existing word might not have had the same clarity.)
There are many stories of communities coming together like never before. Where I live in the South of England, we have a street WhatsApp and a village Mutual Aid group. People are not as friendly as from my Derbyshire roots, but I find saying hello to strangers, chatting and saying thanks to those still working in shops, waving back at my postman, looking people in the eye and smiling all go a long way. Kindness, understanding and compassion are the order of the day.
Finally, I am interested in understanding more about the wording of this new disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines coronaviruses as a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases.The name comes from the Latin word "corona", which means "crown" or "halo", and refers to the shape of the virus particle when viewed under a microscope.
Covid-19 is the disease caused by a "novel coronavirus" which originated in Wuhan, China. On February 11 the WHO named the disease COVID-19 – short for Coronavirus Disease.
That’s enough medical speak. In general we should all make our language as simple as possible - talk about spreading not transmitting, hand-washing not hygiene, etc.
I would extend my article to describe home-schooling but it’s two days in and it’s too raw. I'm fed up with being called Mrs M and I’ve already threatened to bring back the cane.
