Page 13 - Summer 20

Valediction in the time of Covid by Ilse Pedler, UK
to struggle, I would urge you to get in contact and I will help in any way I can.
I hope that we can get back to ‘normal’ whatever that is, sooner rather than later. Some days it’s hard to remember life before the virus, I wonder how we’ll feel stepping onto a bus for the first time or standing shoulder to shoulder at a crowded bar? Personally, I’m looking forward to that one but I know for some it will take a long time to feel comfortable. The development of new habits and behaviours has also been interesting, I’ve noticed how a lot of people are signing off emails and letters with Keep safe rather than Best wishes.
I’m not really one for prayers but I can offer you this short poem:
Valediction in the Time of Covid
I am no longer yours in faith or sincerity, I cannot be the granter of wishes
or kisses
in these interrupted days,
I can however issue instructions
in the hope they fall as talisman
Keep well, stay safe.
11
We are now entering the third month of living with Covid- 19 and I’m sure most of us have had our lives disrupted. Whether this is through being furloughed, trying to home school children for the first time, not being able to see our loved ones or just having to wear PPE and cope with increased lengths of consultations, we’ve all been dealing with additional pressures. One of the hardest things I found initially was the thought that although I took an oath to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to my care, I was being asked to prioritise human health over animal health in my job and if an owner was worried, my usual response of ‘bring it in and we’ll take a look’ was no longer automatically possible. I also missed the handshakes, the hugs for owners that were upset and strangely, the feel of animals; stroking a dog just isn’t the same with gloves on.
I think things have mostly settled into new routines and as lockdown starts to ease, we can start to provide more of our usual services. However, as the Government moves to a more targeted approach with the test and trace scheme it may also pose new problems for veterinary teams. If a person testing positive has made a recent visit to a vet, it may mean several team members have to isolate and this could impact on the ability to staff a full rota. The best advice is to work in small teams, reduce contact with different individuals and continue to practise good hygiene and biosecurity. For those working as sole practitioners, having to isolate will have a huge impact. If anyone starts