The COVID-19 pandemic bears similarities with a cancer diagnosis
COVID 19 has been a thorn in the flesh lately for everyone and the whole world since it was first discovered in Wuhan, China. Coronavirus is a flu-like virus. It causes a condition called COVID-19, which can affect the lungs and respiratory tract. For most people, the virus will not cause serious problems. However, in some people, the virus can have serious complications.
To date, it has caused obvious hardship, and as we ponder on what post-COVD 19 would be, we have a sneak preview of what cancer patients go through. There are similarities between a cancer diagnosis and the COVID-19 pandemic diagnoses and how they do the world more harm than good.
Can we understand cancer patients and their feelings better-using Covid19?
Yes, we can!
Let us see how that is possible.
- First instance: Most people were not prepared for cancer or coronavirus Nobody prepared for Cancer or coronavirus
At first, many people didn’t believe that coronavirus was real. We doubted it, even doubted that it could get to us, our homes, our work, or dictate a new way of living. And then, it met all of us unaware, and many people had to stay at home. It caught us off guard. From the world to governments, organizations, and companies to individuals and families, nobody prepared for this virus.
That’s the same way it is with a cancer diagnosis. Most cancer patients were unprepared for the ailment. They’ve heard of it, but none was ready for it. They never believed it’d get to them, or that they will one day hear the words “You have cancer.” Even when some of them knew that they had a strong family history of cancer/some of their earlier generations had it, they still hoped that it’d pass them.
All of a sudden, randomly, a woman touches her breast and finds a breast lump, or her partner detects it. In some instances, a silent breast mass is detected on mammograms or ultrasounds scans. The breast lump or whatever symptom was not there before this time. This is the same way many Covid19 patients found out they had the symptoms: fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, diarrhoea, loss of smell and taste.
Some people with breast lumps ignore it because it is not painful. In contrast, others with COVID-19 symptoms hope it is malaria or some other condition that is easy to treat. No one wants to be treated for cancer or coronavirus infection.
The fear, emotional turmoil, and uncertainty that comes with a cancer diagnosis and covid19 mirror each other. A COVID-19 patient said that after learning he was positive, he asked, “So what next, is there a cure?” This question has been asked by thousands of cancer patients for many decades too. While oncology has experienced investment, advanced technology, improved diagnostic procedures, and treatment, which translates to cure and disease control. It is doing so at a slow rate and getting to patients too late or too expensive. Scientists are working extremely fast and hard to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus, and hopefully, we can grind to a halt the impact of this globe-trotting virus…….. Stay tuned for part 2
Still, got questions or need further clarification? Please drop it in the comment box or chat with our oncologists and psychologists directly. We would love to hear from you.
Until the concluding part of the series. #Stay Safe
Loads of Love
xo xo
Oncopadi cares