Sometime around September last year, during the first or second of what seemed like many lockdowns, we had a virtual meeting at work in which we all shared the things we’d been missing the most. Some of us said it was the stuff of everyday life – getting coffee around the corner from our office, stopping at a pub after a country walk; some missed time with their friends and family. For me, it was theatre – sitting in a dark room with strangers, all absorbed in the story unfolding in front of us, each performance different than the one before.
I, too, had missed my family and friends, but I could still see them on a screen so we wouldn’t lose touch. It was a community with strangers that I knew we weren’t going to be able to return to any time soon.
How dangerous is flu anyway?
I’ve only had flu once and it was awful, but I’d still ignore the yearly vaccination campaigns that appear with the same, tedious regularity every autumn. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic still very much a reality, I feel differently.
Being ill with flu could be a minor inconvenience if you’re otherwise healthy, but people living with health conditions, such as asthma or diabetes, are at risk of serious illness, which can make flu life threatening.
