Kindness near and far: My struggle with Covid-19
Jessie Lim
Published 13 Mar 2022
When I tested positive for Covid-19 on Feb 26, it was the most unwell I had felt in my life.
Running a 39 deg C fever, I had a sore throat so raw I could barely gulp down a glass of water.
Feverish thoughts ran through my head, as I fretted over possibly dying from the coronavirus, although I knew that as a fully vaccinated young adult, that was highly unlikely.
The feeling of helplessness ran deep, as my whole family had contracted Covid-19.
So when a group of university friends surprised me with a rose yogurt cake, it felt like a fog of despair had lifted. Serendipitously, I had been eyeing the same cake earlier that day but was too tired to order it for myself.
As I devoured the tiny slice, I felt immensely grateful for my friends and to the universe for giving me this little morsel of joy.
During my Covid-19 experience, I was touched by the various small acts of kindness I encountered.
One friend calmed me down when I was worrying about what cleaning supplies I should buy to disinfect the house, giving me advice on how to choose the best brand of wet wipes and disinfectant liquid.
Another helpfully pointed out that I could collect antigen rapid test (ART) kits from the vending machine near my home, so I would not run out of kits even though I was taking daily tests.
I also did not expect the same kindness to be extended from strangers.
As my entire family was ill, we could not buy groceries. At first, I tried to order them online but was unable to find any same-day delivery slots.
With thousands of people contracting Covid-19 daily, including logistics workers, delays for deliveries were expected.
Having heard of the SG Quarantine Order Support Group, a team of volunteers who delivered groceries to Covid-19 patients free of charge, I decided to ask for help from the Telegram group.
Within the same day, they were able to deliver essential items to my home, including eggs and milk.
Although it was a small gesture, it provided us with a lot of comfort as one of my mother's favourite rituals is to make milk tea for breakfast every morning.
Having to compile a grocery list also gave me the strength to do something productive for the first time in a week.
I had felt quite defeated by my illness which left me unable to do much more than lie in bed and read fiction for a few days. Receiving these acts of kindness cheered me, and also distracted me from worrying about the long-term side effects of Covid-19 which I had read about.
Last week, an Oxford University study found that Covid-19 can cause the brain to shrink, reduce grey matter in the regions that control emotion and memory, and damage areas that control the sense of smell. Even in mild cases, participants showed a worsening of executive function, with a decreased ability to focus and organise their thoughts.
During these difficult times, it is even more necessary to check in and support one another.
While I was lucky to have access to nourishing food, health supplements and telemedicine, it was the kindness of friends and strangers that sped up my recovery. My editors also checked in on me regularly and gave me adequate time off to rest.
However, the same cannot be said for some companies which have been insisting on medical certificates for those who test positive for Covid-19.
While I understand the importance of business continuity, insisting on staff returning to work despite being ill betrays a lack of empathy and social responsibility.
I am glad that the Ministry of Manpower came out to say last Wednesday that employers who do so may have their work privileges suspended.
Employers have a big role to play in a time of national crisis.
While interviewing Ukrainians in Singapore for a story last week, I was moved by the story of a 52-year-old woman living in Vasylkiv, a city that Russian forces have attacked with missiles.
Although her daughter, Ms Maria Kropyvianska, 31, repeatedly asked her to leave the city for her safety, she chose to stay.
As a vice-president of an oil and gas company, she felt responsible for the safety of her employees and wanted to help them relocate to safer parts of Ukraine.
On a larger scale, we also see how large companies like Airbnb have stepped up.
The holiday rental platform has offered to house up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country. As a result, thousands of people around the world have been inspired, rushing to book homes owned by Ukrainians to send money to them through reservations.
Humanitarian organisations around the world, such as the Singapore Red Cross, have also rallied their communities to donate.
I was particularly moved by how small businesses in Singapore are fundraising to donate to the Singapore Red Cross' campaign to help Ukrainians.
Some have been selling baked goods while others have organised workshops.
No one knows how long the war in Ukraine will last, as diplomatic talks stall and a ceasefire remains out of reach.
Although I am glad I have fully recovered from Covid-19, I doubt the pandemic will end so soon. Just last Wednesday, the World Health Organisation warned that Covid-19 is far from over.
While there may be no end in sight for both the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, I am hopeful that we can make life a little easier for one another, through small acts of kindness in everyday life.