It’s early morning May 9, 2020 and this is not the year we all thought it would be. As I sit at my desk and reflect on the journey we are on, there are five points of gratitude and two warnings I would like to share.
I am grateful for:
Australians
I am grateful for everyday Australians who, as unlikely as it seemed at the time, took the advice of our medical and political leaders and stayed at home. The mathematical modelling suggests that 80-90% of the population stayed home when asked to, seriously flattening our curve. We were all afraid, uncertain, the outcome not guaranteed, the footy called off and jobs were lost at a scale beyond comprehension, but although the weather was lovely and the Easter long weekend beckoned, we did as we were asked and we stayed at home. This has bought us not just time to prepare, it now places us in an enviable position where we have options to move forward without the devastation that we have seen across much of Europe and the USA and which is emerging throughout the rest of the world. Thank you. Your actions have saved more lives than our highly skilled medical staff could.
Australia
Our geography, the timing of the outbreak, our political cohesion and the decision made by our political leaders to listen to the medical experts have, in my opinion, been critical to our success so far. As an island nation, we can and we did close our borders. We did so early and decisively, despite the political and financial cost. We were far enough behind the rest of the world to see what happens when you don’t lock down fast and we chose to close borders, businesses, schools, places of worship and to close them when our case numbers were low and mostly due to overseas visitors. We tested early and, once more tests were available, we tested broadly. We will only know in hindsight if there could have been a better path, but it’s been a very good response with an excellent outcome so far.
Essential workers
No, not our doctors and nurses, although I am grateful for them. Our other essential workers. The unseen, undervalued members of our society who keep things civilised and ticking over. Those who work in our food chain, from the farmers to the pickers to the transport workers to the shelf stackers to the checkout operators to the butchers, bakers, fishmongers, baristas and beyond, thank you, thank you, thank you. To the toilet paper manufacturers (well, haven’t you been busy!), distilleries who pivoted to produce hand sanitiser instead of their usual brew and other manufacturers who retooled to produce what was needed, thank you. To the police, the teachers, the day care and aged care workers and all those across multiple industries who supply us with stable electricity and water. Thank you. To the cleaners, the mail and parcel delivery workers, those who work in retail who are doing more online and less face to face, thank you. To the IT workers who fixed things when the systems crashed, who wrote and rewrote code to allow us to change the way we communicate and do business in ways that had previously been impossible. Thank you. To the people in the call centres who listen to our complaints, our concerns, our fears and our sorrow, while dealing with their own issues, thank you. To the gardeners and the garbos who have worked hard so that our cities and towns remain tidy and well kept, thank you. To all of those I have forgotten but who know that, without their services, society just wouldn’t function, thank you. You are greatly appreciated.
Our health care system
It’s not perfect, there is no such thing, but when the pressure was on, we performed. Public and private providers working together. Community and hospital sectors communicating despite barriers, working together to safety net our people. The commitment from state and federal governments to fund testing for COVID 19 from the onset so there would be no cost to consumers and the confidence of the Australian people that this would be the case. For health care workers including admin, nurses, doctors, pharmacists, allied health providers, technicians, educators and beyond who reinvented the way we care for people in a short period of time while under immense pressure, thank you. For a medical system that catches and cares for the vulnerable as well as the elite, I am especially grateful. But most of all, I am grateful for a public health response that has resulted in ICUs with spare capacity. With ventilators purchased but not needed. What a wonderful space to be in!
Public health, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Our creatives
A big shout out to our musicians, comedians, artists, actors — to those who make us laugh and cry and remind us of who we are and that we belong. To those who share their talent through impromptu performances, live streaming, releasing new and old recordings, who have drawn and painted, sung and danced and used Tic Toc, YouTube, Facebook etc to care and share, thank you. We miss you and look forward to gathering again for live performances. To the sidewalk chalk artists, poets and those who left messages of hope, unity and encouragement in their windows, on their fences or sidewalks, thank you. For those who dressed up for Bin Isolation Outing and other such endeavours, thank you. To those who positioned teddy bears (or bunnies, lions and the various variations) in subtle and obvious ways, creating trails of exploration, discovery, hope and joy for children and grown ups alike, thank you.
Two notes of caution:
Racism
To those who have demonstrated their ignorance by venting against those of other races, stop it. Racism has long been a part of the human condition, but I don’t believe it belongs here or anywhere and I don’t accept that it has to be a part of who we are going forward. Stop it. Now, more than ever, we need each other. When they write of this time in the history books, what will they write? Will we have shared and cared and helped or will we have shouted and pushed and rejected our fellow humans? However this started and whatever mistakes were made, right now, we are all in this together and we need each other. So stop it. Don’t let fear and anger make you into someone you don’t want to be.
Complacency
This is not over.
Not by a very long shot.
So we have to adjust, find new ways to connect while keeping healthy spaces around us.
To do virtual hugs and find handshake alternatives.
To reimagine our lives.
Take the opportunity to do a stocktake — what do you value?
Australia has decided that we value our elders.
That we value cohesion.
That we look after one another.
Yes, it has to be paid for, so let’s channel our energy and our opportunities and build a new, brave, better world for ourselves, our elders and our children.
Dr Wendy Burton, MBBS, FRACGP (Hon)
Australian GP