BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

People At Increased Risk From COVID-19 Are Taking To Twitter To Plea For Social Distancing

Following
This article is more than 4 years old.

Late on Saturday night, a swathe of people started to take to Twitter to explain why they are at increased risk from the SARS-CoV2 coronavirus. People from all over the world are using the hashtag #HighRiskCovid19 to talk about why their health conditions mean that they are risk of illness, or even death from COVID-19, should they be exposed to the coronavirus.

Data has shown that the elderly are more likely to experience severe disease and/or die from COVID-19, whereas the young appear to be least at risk from severe disease. However, many on twitter are trying to bust the myth that it is only the elderly at heightened risk from COVID-19 and are urging others to practice social distancing to help protect them during the outbreak.

People in many areas of the U.S. and wider world have been urged to practice “social distancing,” limiting their exposure to large numbers of other people to slow down the spread of the disease and allow healthcare systems to cope with the burden. These actions should hopefully “flatten the curve,” but they are also meant to help the most vulnerable members of society such as the elderly and those undergoing certain types of cancer chemotherapy, for example.

Some types of chemotherapy damage the immune system, leaving people vulnerable to infections. A particularly stark example of this is children and adults with blood cancers, where complete destruction of certain types of immune cells is often required in order to get rid of the cancerous cells. But people with several other types of cancer can also be left with compromised immune systems, depending on what type of treatments they are receiving. Some people on active cancer treatment also expressed concern that their treatments could be delayed if they got COVID-19.

“I hope people take social distancing seriously. It may seem inconvenient, but this is a rare opportunity for every individual to contribute to saving the lives of their neighbors,” said Jeremy Pivor, who has been undergoing treatment for a brain tumor since he was 12 years old, and is now undergoing experimental treatment for a second recurrence at age 28.

“As a 28-year-old, I’ve been hearing about people in my age group who are not taking social distancing seriously,” said Pivor. “I thought my story could exemplify that it is not only the elderly at risk, but also young people with conditions like mine who are significantly affected by this virus. We don’t know who around us are vulnerable, so we all need to act like everyone is at risk,” he added.

It is not just people with cancer or those close to them who are worried. People with certain types of auto-immune disorders, where the body’s immune system incorrectly attacks other cells and tissues that it should normally leave alone, are often on immunosuppressive drugs.

A relatively common example of this is rheumatoid arthritis, which is often treated with methotrexate, a drug which slows down fast-dividing cells and hence puts the brakes on the immune system. This helps control often painful and debilitating symptoms, but can leave people who take it with compromised immune systems.

Other people who are at increased risk include organ transplant recipients who often have to take medication to blunt their immune systems in order to stop their bodies from rejecting the donated organ.

There have been criticisms of people still gathering in large numbers, despite the pandemic. For example yesterday at the St Patrick’s day parade in Chicago, many revelers decided that getting drunk in public was preferable to missing an event that happens every year and in doing so, likely greatly increased the risk of transmission of the virus.

“I have a treatment coming up in two weeks, and I have no idea what to expect when I go to the hospital. My treatments are experimental, so my doctors and I don’t know what a delay in my treatment means for my long-term survival. Missing a treatment adds more unknowns to an already uncertain future,” said Pivor.

So, if you know anyone who needs a bit of prompting to practice appropriate social distancing, it might help to urge them to check out the hashtag and read about the experiences of people with health conditions that affect their immune systems.

As this Newsweek article directly put it; “Young and unafraid of the coronavirus pandemic? Good for you. Now stop killing people.”


Follow me on TwitterCheck out my website