Essay on Fifth Wave Covid Hong Kong

When we thought Hong Kong was finally done with covid, the fifth wave came out of nowhere, ruining our lives again, and we all know that it’s not going to get any better soon. Firstly, the amount of cases each day has gone from hundreds to thousands, thousands to tens of thousands. Not only that, but more and more children and elderly people are getting infected by covid recently.

To ensure that fewer people will get infected, hospitals shut away parents and caretakers from going to hospitals, but is it really a good thing? No. But why? The answer is very simple, mental health. Hospitalization has always been hard for both children and parents, now the children are in a place they’ve never been to before, are cramped up with strangers, and their parents are nowhere to be found. If hospitalization is mishandled, children will be traumatized forever.

A study from PMC shows that the loss of contact with other people, the distancing, and the illness or death of family and friends can cause anger, depression, and anxiety. Studies have also shown that children with a high level of loneliness are more likely to be depressed, aggressive, and have suicidal ideation. Dr. Judith Blaine Stevenson, a research associate in Rhodes University Psychology Department said that prolonged isolation has a profound negative impact on people’s mental well-being. Stevenson also said, “I worry about mental well-being in general, particularly for those in isolation, but the main thing that worries me and other people is being separated from family and support.” Lastly, according to WebMD, bad mental health can lead to insomnia, poor physical health, which can affect the amount of time it takes for the patients to recover, meaning they will have to stay in hospitals for longer, which will lead to their mental health worsening, creating a vicious cycle.

Besides the traumatized patients, parents are also distressed. A 32-year-old mother, referred by the name, Laura, was separated from her 11-months-old baby. According to Laura, she and her husband were not allowed to stay as they were close contacts of a confirmed case. “I was begging, crying, hysterical, and screaming,” Laura said. “I had a bit of a breakdown. This is so inhumane. I cannot leave her. She is 11 months old. I’ve never left her. It’s so traumatic for us.”

Of course, some may say that it is a very selfish demand, risking more people getting infected, messing up the doctors' and nurses' routines just for the sake of “ensuring care for mental health”. However, this might actually benefit the nurses and reduce their workload. With the lack of attention, children might cause a racket, the nurses would have to calm them down, so they are unable to treat the other patients. But if the parents were there, they would know how to make their children relax, and when the parents get to see their children, there will be less people complaining to the hospitals, so the nurses can focus on treating patients instead of replying to complaints and trying to soothe the patients.

Allowing parents and caretakers in hospitals to take care of their families will not only reduce the amount of stress they are going through but also reduce the workload of nurses, it’s a great solution that works for both sides, so why should we keep them out?