As restrictions lift let us remember, “others might be more vulnerable than you”

With a majority of the population now vaccinated, restrictions are beginning to ease across the UK and Ireland, with England taking the bold step of dropping most restrictions on the 19^th of July. Some of the other nations are following a different timeline, but the direction of travel seems to be set. Some people are approaching the easing of restrictions with optimism because it means they can once again gather with friends in the pub, visit loved ones, partake in hobbies and much more, without worrying about wearing a mask, or distancing, or restricting the number of people per table. But for others, ‘Freedom Day’ as it’s being called in England, isn’t as positive as it sounds.

One of our patients, Linda from Hull, began dialysis in 2002 after a kidney transplant which lasted nearly ten years. She’s back to dialysing as of last year, but she does so herself at home. She says home dialysis has given her freedom and independence, because it allows her to live life on her own terms. She describes the lifting of restrictions and the doing away with masks as nerve wracking. “There’s no way I’m even going to walk out of my front door without a mask on at the moment!” she says. She’s not willing to risk losing the great life she has – with her two children, seven grandchildren and loving husband. “Covid is not going to vanish overnight, just because the restrictions are lifted. We are vulnerable, we’ve been wearing our masks through the pandemic as per the advice, and I’ll keep wearing mine. People can look at me all they like!”

Linda, and many others with CKD, are among 2.2 million people in the UK who are classed as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV). Many with chronic kidney disease, including those who undergo dialysis and people with organ transplants, are immunocompromised, which means they are at much higher risk of catching Covid-19. This means they need to be even more cautious than the majority of society with the distancing rules. Some of our patients like Linda are confident when they go out, and comfortable telling other people to keep their distance. But others might feel more anxious when in public and might feel hesitant to tell others they need space. There have been some initiatives like National Kidney Foundations’s ‘social distancing lanyards’, designed to help people signpost that they are in fact vulnerable.

But equally, vulnerable people should not need to make their status visible to others or ask for our consideration. It is important that we as a society are more sensitive to the needs of all vulnerable groups. One of our patients Pamela, a 58-year-old transplant recipient, says that the most important thing to remember as the world opens up is to be kind. Interestingly Pamela’s family has a lot of experience with CKD, her mum and sister are both on dialysis, and her daughter is about to go on the transplant list. It makes her uniquely qualified to speak on behalf of people with kidney disease.

She reminds us of the #BeKind movement which started in 2015 but gained momentum in early 2020 following the tragic passing of presenter and Love Island host Caroline Flack. While the context discussed here is completely different, Pamela thinks the message is actually quite relevant in a wider sense. “Think of others,” she reminds us, “Others might be more vulnerable than you! It stops making vulnerable people quite so compartmentalised and puts the onus on others to think about how their actions might impact those around them.”

There’s no better way to put it, the pandemic has highlighted inequalities, and shown us that different people have different needs. It’s up to us to ensure the post-pandemic world is more inclusive, more empathetic, and a better place for us all.