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On the COVID-19 Day of Reflection, my thoughts are with those whose loved ones — family, friends, and colleagues — lost their lives as a result of COVID-19. My thoughts are with the health and social care workers who worked tirelessly to nurse, treat, and care for those affected, the educators who worked hard to teach and care for our children, and the volunteers who stepped up and helped out in so many life-changing ways. The pandemic changed us all. Remembering and honouring those who died, returning to that experience and making sense of it, however painful, is part of our collective healing. 

When the lockdown started, I was working long and intense shifts in health protection, helping individuals who had picked up the virus while on holiday, but fortunately, were not severely unwell. At that time, my colleagues and I were focused on contact tracing, asking individuals to reflect on their recent social interactions, the bars and restaurants they had gone to, and the flights and train journeys they had taken.  

Like many of us, the pandemic shifted my focus from aspirational to practical—suddenly, having food in the house to feed my family, making sure my daughters had access to the schoolwork they needed, and getting outside for daily walks became the defining priorities of each day. 

This constant focus on the immediate, while necessary, was unprecedented. Adapting to a ‘new normal’ was overtaken by the cumulative stress of a situation which was not ‘normal.’ It was uncertain. The very basis of our humanity, the ability to connect with others, to reach out, to comfort and to hug was questioned. Milestones like birthdays, exams and major surgeries had to be negotiated in a COVID-19 world.   

I had naively hoped that the pandemic would mean that a risky operation planned for my husband would be cancelled. It was not. The driver who transported him to hospital was in full hazmat. However, unlike in previous operations, I couldn’t accompany him to hospital. The stress, the terror I felt, was so physically painful I could barely stand.  

My daughters and I picked him up a couple of days later, driving through London’s eerie deserted streets. It was a relief to have him home, and to know that he was healthy, but the experience was harrowing—enduring his surgery from a distance had made an already terrifying experience all the more unbearable. 

The vaccine was of course a gamechanger. Its success meant a fall in deaths and severe illness. It meant our liberty could slowly start to be returned. However, the country’s recovery from COVID-19 brought about new challenges, many of which were rooted in the pandemic’s psychological impact. Young children were not able to socialise and play, while reduced physical activity led to a rise in obesity levels. Many individuals also faced mental health challenges, stemming from anxiety, isolation, and profound grief. 

COVID-19 also revealed the stark disparities between communities in our society, highlighting the structural inequalities and racism that resulted in higher death rates within Asian, Black African, and Black Caribbean populations. The pandemic also sent a shock wave through our economy, compounding existing economic challenges with increasing levels of poverty. 

Yet, while the pandemic exposed several socio-economic and racial injustices within our society, it also proved that we have the power to protect our families and communities through collective action. And most importantly, it proved that, together, we have the resilience to overcome the most challenging of obstacles. 

The COVID-19 pandemic made a profound impact on all of us. Sacrifices were made by many to protect us. Lives were unjustly cut short. It was a traumatising time. While many of us are still recovering, it’s important that we continue to commemorate those who lost their lives, retell those stories, pause and reflect on the challenges we’ve faced, and acknowledge our collective ability to persevere, build connections, and find strength in what matters most.