Life changed last year without our permission, no one asked it to happen that way it just did, everything as we know it flipped upside down unexpectedly. Here we are a year on and to speak close to each other, to socialise, hug or shake hands is to put a life at risk. To go to the hospital, to work, or food shopping is a chance that you might get the virus, those are the times in which we now live, sigh.

It is traumatic the number of lives that have been lost every day now since the second wave hit Zambia I see the words “RIP” (Rest in Peace or Power) more than ever. Now when the phone rings now you assume it’s bad news or you receive a text that friends, family or colleagues you know have died from Covid-19. So, what do we do? We take it one day at a time because there is no other way to handle this nightmare which seems like a scenario from a Stephen King book that has become reality.

One thing the government did do right here is make wearing masks in public mandatory from the get go, screening in shops including the airport, and making sure you have a negative covid result should you need to travel. Reality is everyone has a covid story you are either infected or affected.

Have read and heard horror stories of the happenings at the isolation centres, the levels of negligence and multiple mistakes made, bottom line as it is now, is that we can not afford to be complacent about our health. Reality is our healthcare system isn’t the best but some folks are still in denial and act like nothing is happening. People test positive yet put others at risk because they don’t want to be honest about it. You may be the key to preventing the spread just do your bit to stop the ripple effect and take preventative measures end of because even though there is a vaccine there’s not enough for all in this part of the world.

One thing that the pandemic highlights is how precious life is and we only have one chance to you say yes to today (yestoday) because tomorrow is not guaranteed. As everything is in the air I’m coping by setting myself tasks so that I am preoccupied to keep my brain functioning because watching the news every single day is depressing. I appreciate things more, like smelling the flowers or really enjoying the sunshine and just the little things that might have bothered me before now seem so irrelevant because things are now in perspective.

We appreciate all health care personnel and it gives a better understanding of why preventive work is much required and needed because they are doing the best they can but the population has to also do their part to help ease the burden.