‘Your actions will be the reason I will have to cocoon again’

Like many during this pandemic, I have been cocooning, due to my underlying health conditions of cystic fibrosis (CF) and diabetes, both of which put me in the very high risk category.

As a 16-year-old, being so vulnerable to a virus certainly has its challenges and, because of the nature of this virus and the risk it poses, I have had to make sure I follow every single public health guideline to help protect myself, due to my very weak immune system. I could pick anything up from the littlest of things such as a head cold which could progress into an infection to something even bigger such as the flu.

CF is a genetically inherited disease that primarily affects the lungs. Here in Ireland, we have one of the highest rates of CF per capita, with more than 1,400 people living with the condition. Many CF patients and their families were cocooning from the start of the current crisis – not going out, getting people to do our shopping, avoiding seeing people and making sure to protect ourselves.

As the restrictions began to ease, many began returning to school and going out to exercise (exercise helps keep CF patients well). We began trying to relive our lives, while sticking to the Government and HSE guidelines.

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However, as the number of Covid-19 cases significantly increased over the past weeks, it has become a very worrying time again, especially for those who are considered at high risk to Covid, whether it’s because of age or due to a health condition. We have seen videos and photos circulating online of “house parties” and “raves” and close gatherings in which there is no social distancing, no face coverings and, by the look of it, a complete disregard to all the guidelines.

If I could, I would love to be out and about, I would love to see my friends, I would love to go to a house party, but I cannot, and we cannot

These gatherings are extremely worrying, particularly the most recent one in Galway. As a teenager and someone deemed in the very high-risk group, I cannot express how angry I was, how furious it made me, when I saw these photos and videos of people completely disregarding the public health guidelines.

I never take for granted any videos or photos I see on social media because you can never be sure when they took place, but as the media began exploring and checking if they were real and clarifying they were, I began to get really annoyed, feeling insulted that people would go out and even consider having any type of gathering during a pandemic.

Words could not and can not describe how I felt and feel when I see things like that. These are the reasons I continue to feel scared when I go out.

People, generally, have become overly relaxed about these restrictions.

I was going for a walk the other day and happened to be passing by a golf course and there were at least 15 people who appeared to be adults not social distancing, not wearing face coverings and just standing around each other.

If people continue letting their guard down, I feel things will get worse, impacting those vulnerable.

Every time I read a news report about another massive gathering, the first thing that comes into my head is, if you have a close family member who had Covid or tragically lost someone from it, you would not be there; if you were impacted by Covid, you would not be there.

Young people are getting the virus. Some may be lucky but there are some who unfortunately aren’t so lucky. If we don’t make it clear to people of my age who are attending the gatherings of the impact they are having, I feel it will get out of hand.

There are many people my age trying their best but when I see a large crowd I feel as if nobody else is following the guidelines, and I ask myself is it worth it. I have to remind myself why I am doing everything I am doing and tell myself I am doing it to protect myself and my family.

As a 16-year-old, I do not want to be associated with the bad name young people have got throughout this pandemic. I can assure you people who are medically vulnerable of any age, young or old, are not hosting or attending house parties, we are not in crowded places and we are certainly not in places that put us at risk. We are following every rule the best we can.

I understand as a teenager it is hard to stick to the guidelines and it is hard not to see friends. We must accept that teenagers want to be out, they want to be socialising, but we cannot accept the way they are doing so. If we continue to let them get away with this, we have no hope with anything progressing. If I could, I would love to be out and about, I would love to see my friends, I would love to go to a house party, but I cannot, and we cannot.

For now, we must follow the guidelines because, after all, we want to protect everyone in society. We must remember this is a virus that can potentially kill people and already has, we must protect those most vulnerable in society.

Your actions will be the reason I will have to cocoon again and, to be perfectly honest, I do not want to have to go back to how it was at the start again.