The loneliest virus in the world

By: Natasha Archary

Don’t you miss it?

The social life you took for granted before this entire nightmarish ordeal took over every facet of your life. A warm hug from a loved one, scrap that a hug from a potential partner would be welcome too. Kisses just because. Handholding while navigating to your dinner reservation with bae.

Human interaction

Yes. We miss it all. Having touched on how so much has changed with traditional dating, we’d give anything to be able to go on a date again. To engage in stimulating adult conversation about everything, anything, and nothing to be honest. Just to have one on one interaction with someone, we’d take that no matter how mundane.

It’s that coupled with other seemingly trivial things, which now after some careful reflection does not feel like a minute after-all. Taking a long drive with your date. Going to a dance. Catching the late movie and grabbing ice-cream after. The arcade on a Saturday night. Theatre productions which mean you get dressed up and make a night of it.

Remember when there was that much choice to spend time with someone, we’re into? Or trying to get to know. Sigh. What wouldn’t we do to get that back?

Loneliness is deafening

The social isolation that COVID-19 uninvitingly brings into our lives is tough to deal with. It’s no wonder it’s called the loneliest virus in the world. We’d hate to imagine what testing positive with the virus must mean for couples and their relationships. Being unable to hold their hand or visit them at the hospital.

Not being allowed to say goodbye if they succumb to the virus. Children who are separated from their parents and quarantined or receiving treatment. It’s a lot to take in. This new reality presents a harsher battle than we ever thought possible. The loneliness that accompanies it, is deafening.

For those of living alone or working from home, it means minimal human interaction. Unless you count heading to the mall for supplies or some takeout as a social activity. It’s depressive how we’ve come to be a species focused on solitude.

The future in isolation

Having a glimpse into our new normal is likened to a post-apocalyptic movie scene. The empty feeling when you are driving through the city. Passing foreclosure signs on businesses and homes for sale. It’s bleak.

Families have been torn apart due to COVID-19, and one can only imagine the helplessness that subjects’ people to.

Read more about a Raisethorpe couple who died a day apart. The story was covered by Capital newspapers.

Earlier this month News24 covered a story about a couple from Cape Town who died 4-days apart after battling COVID-19.

Those of us who are taking the call for social distancing and sanitary precautions lightly, should re-evaluate what our lives mean. Not to us, but those around us. The little people in our lives, who would be so broken to live without us. Our significant others who would have to pick up the pieces and move on. Parents who would need to accept that their pride and joy is no more.

If you’re a single parent and sole breadwinner, how devastating it would be to your family if you became another COVID-19 statistic? Maybe there’s merit to the isolation. If it means we safeguard the welfare of our loved ones, it’s worth it in the end, right?

When will it end? There’s hope with clinical trials on vaccines underway in South Africa. Russia has also started pre-emptive vaccine testing. So, it’s only a matter of time, isn’t it? We keep the faith, because this cannot be how we live the rest of our lives.

Written by: Natasha

COVID-19 Loneliest virus South Africa