COVID-19: PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THE FLU
People have talked about how Covid-19 affects different groups in different ways, from gender and care to racial, age, and health inequalities. Still, they don’t discuss how hard it is for disabled people. A long-term ailment, impairment, or illness limits a person’s ability to do the tasks they need to do on a day-to-day basis. Then some youngsters have learning difficulties or are physically challenged. Disabled parents, of which there are many more, are unable to provide for their children in a meaningful way.
The Statistics show that more than 11 million people in the UK are disabled. It is about 20% of the population of the UK. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, people with disabilities were worried because they might be more likely to get sick from the Coronavirus. The ONS says that 45 per cent of people 65 and older have a disability, and it is usually known that older people are more likely to get sick from the virus. So, it has always been a worry that disabled people’s health problems will make them more likely to get sick from the virus.
Aside from the idea that disabled people were more likely to get sick from the virus. There was also the question of how they lived. For example, many disabled people live in public homes because they can’t afford to live on their own or because they are too old to live on their own, making Coronavirus more likely to spread. Infected people in these public homes can’t live alone because most need extra care and attention. They might not even have any symptoms, which makes it easy for the virus to spread. People who rely on social workers for care are more likely to get sick because these workers go to many public places, and it is easier for the virus to spread through them.
During the pandemic, it was scary to see that people with and without disabilities had difficulty getting things like medicine, food, and other necessities. It caused a lot of trouble for many people, especially disabled people. Mental health is another thing that was hurt by the pandemic that doesn’t get enough attention. According to those who spoke out, the COVID-19 pandemic has broken the mental health of more people with disabilities than people without disabilities. It made them feel worried and stressed, alone, and like a burden on others, which happened to them a lot.
Even though disabled people are often taken for granted in most places, London city opened COVID-19 vaccination centres for people over 16 who have trouble learning. They knew the Coronavirus would make it even harder for these people to learn, so they devised this fantastic idea.
Even though this is a good step, they could still use more help. For example, disabled people could have access to private blood testing centres. Many people get the Coronavirus but don’t know it because its symptoms are similar to those of other illnesses. Others are just carriers who don’t have any symptoms, which is why they need to be checked. There are several community-based testing centres in the UK, but there may also be private blood test centres for disabled people in Leicester. The reason is that testing centres are likely too crowded, and for a disabled person to be in such a place is pretty dangerous. Another way to help is to give some home test kits if they have people who could provide them with the test.
More needs to be done for disabled individuals worldwide, especially in light of the COVID-19 virus outbreak. Take each step as it comes.
