Pandemic fatigue – also known as, “why won’t COVID-19 just be over” syndrome – appears to be setting in around the world, and in the Middle East.
The UAE recorded its highest ever coronavirus case numbers yesterday, the second day in a row of highest-ever cases. Doctors continue to stress that wearing a mask and avoiding large social gatherings is the key to beating the virus, but less people are listening.
Why? Pandemic fatigue.
As the world continues to open up and people attempt to return to their regular lives, the constant news cycle, inability to go about your regular pre-Covid activities (such as going for dinner with your mates), and need to wear a mask is starting to get to people.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pandemic fatigue is now widespread. And despite a high level of knowledge by the general public about the Covid-19 virus, people are still shirking the rules.
The WHO says that countries “are reporting signs of pandemic fatigue in their populations – here defined as demotivation to follow recommended protective behaviours, emerging gradually over time and affected by a number of emotions, experiences and perceptions.”
The general reason for pandemic fatigue is simple; people are sick and tired of the coronavirus. The problem being that by not paying attention to social distancing and mask-wearing measures in place, that makes you much more suseptable to actually getting sick (and tired) from the virus.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic is here to stay. And doctors say that the best thing you can do is to treat wearing your mask as a vaccine.
Want to brush up on how to best protect yourself and othres from COVID-19? Check out the advice from the WHO below:
In other news, the UAE has started using sniffer dogs to detect the coronavirus in Sharjah.
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