Why Did the Pandemic Make Us Worse?
I have been ill for a few days now with some pretty persistent symptoms; a pressure headache, constantly blowing my nose, and now a cough that gets agitated by everything (even nothing!!! hurray!!!). Begrudgingly, I have stayed home from work. I say begrudgingly not because I want to be at work, but more that I don't want to lose money. As stupid as it is that I even have to make that choice.
I know exactly how I got ill and who gave it to me. It was a manager, one that frequently refuses to go home when they're ill. Now you could sit here and say "Didn't you just say you wanted to be at work as to not lose money?", and yes, I did. However, I know for a fact that this manager makes significantly more than me and would be fine to take an entire week off if they so wished. They go abroad 4 times a year. Disposable Income who? That point is moot anyway, as I am still not at work because I am sick.
It wasn't that long ago that if someone was ill, they would have no choice but to stay at home. Hell, even if they had the mildest of symptoms; too bad, you're staying at home. And you got paid for it! The system worked. It kept people safe and it made sure the people who were actually sick had enough time to healthily recover from whatever was ailing them, even if it wasn't Covid. Did people take advantage of this? Yeah, probably, but I feel like that's an entirely different issue all together. If the people working for you are so desperate not to be working for you… Maybe you should analyse why that is.
Regardless, these systems worked. People were happier and healthier. The whole 'remote working' debate was quelled very quickly and it was made crystal clear that workers (where able) could do their job at home just as efficiently as they could in the office, if not even more so. Yet despite all of that, once the world decided the pandemic was over (Covid is still killing people, by the way…) everything went back to normal and then got significantly worse.
This doesn't just relate to work-place attitudes, but attitudes in general. People standing so close to you in a queue they might as well be giving you a colonoscopy, coughing into open hands and continuing to touch people and things, or the absolute degradation of self-awareness. We have taken to doing our weekly shops on a Friday evening as the store is practically empty (the workers there are also usually putting out stock for the next day, as well as marking down the things that are about to go out of date, so you can pick up so pretty good stuff!), any other time and I get overstimulated so quickly it's actually infuriating. I wear Loops for things like this now. At first I thought they were just a gimick, but they've actually been a life-saver. I recommend the Quiet 2 if you suffer from ouchie ouchie sensitive ear like I do and also want to hear as little as possible while still being able to hear what's going on around you.
I digress…
I wouldn't be so horrendously ill if one person had been made to stay home. I also know that the same illness has affected multiple people at work, so it's not just me who is currently getting the wind kicked out of them so bad their gag reflex is in overdrive. Multiple people have been knocked down because one person either couldn't or (more likely) wouldn't stay home to get better. I could easily do my job at home so there is no 'loss', yet I am not permitted to. Other people are though! So make that make sense…
Basically, I'm pissed because I have been pretty badly ill two times already this year and both illnesses were caused by the exact same mentality. I'm supposed to be going to a wedding fair this weekend.
Just stay home! Stop making me sick!