Blog #2 How People Reacted

Prior to the pandemic lockdowns I had been running a successful business for many years with too many clients and a waitlist of several years I could never get to. I was healthy with no medical conditions, weighed 57kg, was fit and active. I studied regularly, walked 10km a day, participated in partner dance classes and multiple fitness classes per week and held focus mitts for boxing clients for over 30 hours a week.

Immediately after the lockdowns were announced, my 70 clients a week became 8. I had to pivot quickly, remodel my business and establish myself online with limited tech skills. This was an unsettling and scary time. As difficult as it was, I got through it and when the lockdown ceased I was back to training and coaching over 50 clients a week.

As a responsible business owner with a strong academic and work background in occupational health and safety, I followed all government advice, including getting repeatedly vaccinated myself; obtained health and legal advice to ensure I was meeting my duty of care to my clients; assessed risk and implemented safety controls. My safety controls included requesting clients and friends don face masks during Covid waves and when they had been actively mingling in large groups in the community and asking clients and friends to stay away if they or their close contacts had cold and flu symptoms.

Soon after implementing controls arising from my risk assessment, the most difficult of challenges arose, the behaviours of others. To say I was flabbergasted at the disregard and disrespect for people, their feelings, fears and needs would be an understatement. There are simply no words to describe the cruelty and selfishness I witnessed. My most vulnerable clients, particularly the immunocompromised, were repeatedly ridiculed and mistreated. I had clients who refused to stay away with active cold and flu symptoms and some who became aggressive about my requests to protect others. I witnessed people publicly announcing their desire to have Covid parties and deliberately violating government advice.

By June 2023 my Long Covid Condition (LCC) started to unfold. I was repeatedly hospitalised with life threatening conditions. When I got out of hospital at Christmas time, someone threatened me when I asked if they wouldn’t mind doing a RAT prior to seeing me in my home. I had no immune system and was aware that they had been mingling in several large groups. More of this behaviour followed and peoples’ true colours showed. I had always had a genuine love of people and still do but the disrespectful, disregarding and cruel behaviour of some people really opened my eyes. Then I saw the gift that had presented itself to me….

I had been tolerating unacceptable behaviour and this was the cure! I relaxed and was comfortable in the realisation that those who were caring, respected my boundaries and valued me would stay and support me while those who didn’t would go and as a result my life became more peaceful even with my multiple health conditions.

Despite having studied behaviour in many contexts, including university, I was astonished by peoples’ behaviour towards those who were afraid of Covid. To this day I cannot reconcile the behaviour I have witnessed but I can accept it. Recognising it quickly has become a risk mitigation strategy for me personally and professionally. I no longer accept people like this in my life. I now effortlessly assert my boundaries and will continue to protect myself and others irrespective of the disrespect and mistreatment it triggers in some people.

As terrifying as it has been, I’d rather another week in hospital than a day in the company of a toxic person.