COVID-19 pandemic: The lessons we learnt and lost six years on
Health experts are concerned that Australians have largely abandoned basic hygiene and safety habits adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmacists note that vaccine fatigue and a return to working while sick are contributing to increased illness spread.
Why it matters
The decline in public health vigilance has economic and community health consequences, particularly during winter months.
Share article Every year, we ask ourselves how to prevent getting sick during winter . The fact is, we already have the solution – we learned it the hard way, during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Six years ago, we were taught to wash our hands thoroughly for 20 seconds at a time, even going underneath our fingernails. We made it a habit to cough into our elbows and maintain distance from each other, and even wear masks to prevent illnesses from spreading.
Pharmacist Kate Gunthorpe recommends staying at home while sick. Supplied
If we were sick, it was mandatory to stay home and rest, not just to prevent illness from spreading but also for our own recovery.
One of the biggest challenges was preventing touching our own faces, with many of us coming to the realisation we do it entirely too much.
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