Anger for the vulnerable
It’s a real shift that some of us are just basically expendible and no measures need to be taken … we don’t care about our community, our fellow people.
ALYCE NELLIGAN
AS THE death toll continues to rise amid a renewed Omicron wave washing over the Darling Downs, the immunocompromised community is being forced into prolonged isolation.
In the past 24 hours, three additional Covid-related deaths were reported, taking the toll to 86, and 86 active cases were under HHS care in the region.
A Darling Downs Health spokesperson said there were 70 patients in their hospitals with Covid, one of which was in ICU.
Toowoomba and Western Queensland Greens branch spokeswoman Alyce Nelligan said as she watched cases rise again, it was infuriating seeing people not taking simple, non-invasive actions like wearing a mask or getting their boosters, especially as she was immunocompromised.
“I have a rare genetic illness which causes me to have lung dysfunction,” Ms Nelligan said.
“So, for someone like me getting Covid, those risk factors are very, very high that I would need a hospital bed and very intense medical intervention.
“Everyone’s accepted the narrative that we just have to live with Covid, and now we’re accepting the deaths that come with that.
“It’s a real shift that some of us are just basically expendible and no measures need to be taken … we don’t care about our community, our fellow people.”
Ms Nelligan said she had been living in isolation for the past seven months, resulting in limited socialisation and only being able to engage with her workplace virtually.
“It’s quite a large sector of our community that are being affected by this, and to be stuck in a situation where I’m basically living Groundhog Day, day after day, because (people aren’t) taking steps,” Ms Nelligan said.
“The elderly, disabled, immunocompromised, people with comorbidities, they can’t live their normal lives anymore.”
Around 18 per cent, or 4.4 million Australians, have a disability.
Ms Nelligan said not succumbing to pandemic fatigue and taking protective steps could help slow the spread of Covid throughout the community and protect the hospital system from collapse.
“We know (the hospital system) is very strained right now and someone like me would struggle to get a bed if I went to hospital for any reason,” Ms Nelligan said.