Covid Stories: "We cannot let history repeat itself"

Numair's contribution to the Collecting Covid: Wales 2020 questionnaire project.

I am aware that the typical response when people are facing isolation is to reach out to others more frequently. Now more than ever, I, and indeed many others, are able to appreciate how the current global crisis has amplified a sense of appreciation for our relationships. We are beginning to appreciate just how much we need each other. I am certainly making a more concerted effort to reach out to others. Perhaps this is a cliche. But it is also very true!

I am extremely fortunate to have a strong support network in these uncertain times. I have an amazing group of friends who make a concerted effort in reaching out me. Also, a friend of mine is living with me so I am not alone. Moreover, as an activist within the BAME LGBT+ community, I do have the privilege and duty to be there for others virtually and this allows me to put my emotions into perspective.

As a refugee in the UK, who already has legal restrictions related to travelling, this pandemic has introduced further uncertainty about travelling. This means I have to come to terms with the possibility that I may not be able to meet people in my life who I genuinely love and live in parts of the world (e.g. Italy and Pakistan) where travelling is very difficult for me.

I genuinely hope that we can emerge from this crisis with an understanding of just how interconnected our planet is. A minor disruption caused by humanity in one part of the world really can have unpredictable, global consequences. We cannot let history repeat itself.