Adjusting has hurt

The severe outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). and the restrictions put in place locally and internationally has affected everyone in a variety of different ways.

For Charolette Waddell of Lethbridge, the coronavirus meant being out of work temporarily.

Waddell works at the Enmax Centre and due to government declaring gatherings of 250 people or more being cancelled, her workplace was shut down.

“I can’t make the extra income my family needs,” Waddell says. “Losing my job even temporarily makes it difficult for me to make ends meet, especially since I am on AISH.”

Waddell says the situation created by COVID-19 is especially difficult for people who have small children and have to pay for the necessities of an entire family.

The panic buying that has ensued, Wadell says, creates difficulty for those on AISH who only get paid once a month to get supplies. Waddell says that everyone is over-buying and leaving none for those who have trouble getting supplies.

“Unfortunately, community supports also have very limited resources and it’s difficult to get anything I need,” Waddell says. “My child was in daycare and having it closed is a little difficult, but we make things work by making sure he is properly occupied with toys and books.”

Waddell herself has immune system issues and finds it difficult to get out for needed supplies quickly enough. She is also pregnant with her second child and has to be extra cautious about when to go out.

“The type of immune issue I have is my body cannot properly fight off infections, viruses, and bacteria,” Waddell explains. “I am not one hundred percent sure of how much more susceptible I am to COVID-19 I am because of it, but I do know is that if I get it, it could be fatal for me. For the average person that can fight off stuff like that, it is not so much fatal.”

Fortunately for Waddell, she has people to help her get what she needs despite her illness and she also credits people in the community as also being helpful to her and her family.

“If I need food, they find a way to get me some food,” Waddell says.

“If I need to go to a doctor, they help me get there. If I need anything, I can ask.”