THE FACT OF THE MATTER
BY PAUL HOPKINS
Do I need an inquiry into the State’s handling of Covid-19 for me to understand that I had the rogue microbe inside me three times in two years; that the first six months of lockdown had me virtually alone and certainly petrified because I was among the vulnerable that were the old; and that, on getting the bug the second time, I had long-Covid which lasted from March 2021 until almost the Christmas and saw me totally devoid of any energy.
An inquiry won’t change that for me, nor indeed explain things any further than I already know nor need to know. I lost four close acquaintances to Covid – each with underlying issues. An inquiry is not going to bring them back. Nor will such throw light on why all ‘old’ people were lumped together – I don’t have any underlying issues – and told to shut up and stay indoors, and young teens blamed for breaking the rules of lockdown and contributing to the spread of the virus. The latter so not true.
Did Ireland “lock down for too hard, for too long”?
Arguably so, but I suggest we handled the whole frightening scenario better that did, say, the UK, Italy or the US.
Conspiracy theorists aside, we listened to the authorities and those on the frontline and did as we were told, what with keeping two feet apart in the supermarket, wearing the obligatory mask, and staying within our five kilometre radius. Those in the hospitality industry duly closed their doors, even though it was to cost them and some just never opening their doors again.
The Cabinet has signed off on what it is describing as an ‘evaluation’ of Ireland’s Covid response – however, the investigation will not have powers to compel people to give evidence nor secure documents. The investigation led by NUI Galway Professor Anne Scott will examine the health service response to the pandemic – including nursing homes, hospitals and community care.
This may seem fair enough but with no powers to call ‘witnesses’ or summon documents such an inquiry may well fall short of what it would seek to achieve. And, the Lord knows, we have a history of our inquiries going on forever and costing the taxpayer dearly.
When we were still in lockdown I had my first panic or anxiety attack. I thought I was having a heart attack as I had never experienced anything like it before. I dialled 999. The operator stayed online until, within half an hour, the paramedics arrived with an array of medical gadgets with bells and whistles. After a very thorough and sympathetic examination, with me hooked up to the bells and whistles, the two wonderful paramedics concluded that it was not a heart attack but a panic attack. They would still take me to hospital, if I wished, but, after some time doing deep-breathing exercises, the severe pain in my chest and overall nausea went as quickly as it had come.
My psychologist friend from Magherafelt and I decided later, over the phone, that the panic attack had most likely been brought on by a report I heard earlier that day on the Claire Byrne radio show and had filed to my sub-conscious, only for it to rear its ugly head later and spark the attack. A report that said, given this was before any vaccine rollout, that life might never be the same again in this time of living with Covid-19. That I might never hold and hug my grandchildren again, nor go down the pub for a pint and philosophical discourse, nor travel again, I had also buried in my sub-conscious.
(Claire was broadcasting from her backgarden shed).
I rather not have all this brought back to memory by listening daily to news reports of an inquiry.
When a vaccine was finally rolled out I found nothing but utter professionalism and calm and order in how the shots were mass-administered. I also believe that those on the tireless frontline of our health service have enough savvy and knowledge to know what they might do differently the next time around – and there will be a next time.
Meanwhile, money would be better spent on looking into those among us still living with long-Covid. They are no small number. Or spent addressing our real ongoing health crises like shortage of hospital beds, years of waiting lists, children with no access to treatment for scoliosis…
