How to make your friends give a shit about COVID again

We’re in the ninth wave of COVID-19 right now. Infections, hospitalisations and deaths are increasing. Disabled people are not generally shocked by this information (just disappointed).

We know that this is –at least in part — because immunity is low in the community, probably because many of the people who could be getting regular COVID-19 booster jabs aren’t doing so. Most people (particularly non-disabled people, who are less fearful of long-lasting consequences from COVID-19 infections) have also given up masking, isolating, and all the other protective measures we have against COVID-19 transmission.

So although it shouldn’t be up to us to do it, sometimes we’ve got to convince non-disabled people to care enough to help us (and themselves) out. We need to make them care about COVID-19 again. Here are some of the ways you might start:

1. Educate them

Yes, this is the most boring option. Send your friends a simple Instagram post that explains the risks of catching COVID-19, or the benefits of using masks. Or talk to them face-to-face — this might feel more awkward, but they’re also more likely to listen. Being upfront about why this matters to you might make a difference to their thinking.

2. Gift them a cute mask

Masks have come a long way in the last six years. Firstly, we know so much more about which masks are most effective and why. Secondly, we know how to yassify them. Maybe find a mask in their favourite colour, or add a chain to the front. There are heaps of mask decorating ideas on Pinterest to take inspiration from.

3. Keep wearing masks, and bringing masks with you when you’re out

Sometimes all it takes is for someone to be offered a mask and they’ll wear it. Not letting people forget about masking is the first step to making it a habit again.

4. Book in a bestie booster trip

If your friend has been procrastinating getting their booster, why not go together and get an ice cream afterwards? Or hang out the next day and rot in bed together while recovering from the side-effects (if you’re unlucky enough to get them).

5. Make a RAT delivery

Has your friend mentioned that they feel a cold coming on? But they’re powering through and going to work anyway? This is a good opportunity to help them detect a sneaky case of COVID-19, or even just remind them that they shouldn’t be exposing people to colds either. Drop off a RAT — ideally, one of those triple RATs that can also detect a cold or flu, available from the pharmacy — and even if it’s ‘just’ a cold, encourage them to avoid spreading it to others.

6. Ask them about their obstacles

Maybe your friend has a particular reason why they’ve been struggling to wear masks, or avoiding getting a booster. Some people find that wearing a mask makes them anxious. Offer them help with overcoming this obstacle. For mask anxiety, there is a lot of guidance online around how to build up comfortability to wearing a mask, increase your mask-wearing time, and cope with the anxious feelings.

7. Guilt-trip them

This is kind of a joke but also kind of not. Maybe you’ve tried asking nicely and it’s time to just get aggressive. Remind them that if they care about you as a person and want you to remain well, they will also look after themselves and their community by taking COVID-19 more seriously. If they still refuse, maybe you don’t spend time with that person for a while. It sounds dramatic but it’s also pretty dramatic to disregard the wellbeing of people you care about. If you don’t want to do the guilt-tripping yourself, just send them this article.

Remember: it’s not just COVID-19 either. We can get our annual flu jab, and test when we’re ill. We can reduce our contact with other people even when we ‘just’ have a cold or the flu. It’s good to get into the habit of taking sickness seriously, because COVID-19 isn’t the only illness that can affect our health long-term.

If you want to understand more about the current wave of COVID-19, The Spinoff wrote a handy guide earlier this month.