It’s 2020, and all over the world, people are expected to stay home to prevent additional COVID cases.
We take many steps and precautions to keep just ourselves healthy and safe from those around us.
If we have something as simple as a cough or runny nose or even a headache, we are encouraged to stay home and isolate.
Before COVID, many were expected to go to class, work or other important engagements regardless of being sick. That runny nose you’d had for weeks didn’t matter as much until now.
Speaking from experience, my mother went to work with a burning fever because she didn’t want to lose a day of pay.
She was sent home because she was too sick to work. At least she made the attempt to go to work, right? My mother works for a family health clinic as a medical assistant, helping with many different patients every day.
You’d think it’d be okay to stay home, but she felt obligated to go to work so she didn’t lose a day’s worth of pay.
I often feel the same way about going to my classes. I needed to be there to pass, not only for attendance, but for the information I need in order to study and learn.
We didn’t have Echo360 before COVID, so missing a class could put you behind. The expectation seemed higher to attend class even if I wasn’t super ill.
My point is, we went to work or class even if we were sick. We push ourselves too far, to the point of having a breakdown.
We are afraid of losing our jobs or a good grade because we miss one day. Sometimes we need a mental break too. We don’t perform well if we aren’t mentally prepared to do so.
Now living in a COVID world, we are more conscious of our health. We are more conscious of others and affecting their health.
We are aware if we can get through the day not just physically, but mentally. We should continue to do that, not just for COVID. There are so many illnesses that affect people differently and can be life-threatening or even a slight inconvenience.
Bosses and professors and other “higher-ups” should understand this too.
There are people who work too hard to keep what is good for them. They lose a job; they could lose everything they have ever worked for.
Would you rather have a worn-out or sick worker not perform their tasks well or have them stay home and come back as soon as possible while keeping themselves and others safe?
Schools should continue to offer options like Echo360 to allow us who are sick or mentally worn to stay on top of our classes.
Workers, if possible, should have a way to work from home. We can encourage people to wear a mask while they are sick to avoid spreading it.
There are ways to help life moving forward if we are willing to figure it out for the sake of others and their health.
The pandemic has offered a learning experience for many and taught us to adapt and overcome difficult situations. It has not been easy, but it could make life better for us if we adopt this new way of life.
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