The COVID-19 pandemic caused a societal shock across the UK (Daly et al, 2020), as well as globally (World Health Organization, 2020). While there have been many losses-such as lost lives, livelihoods and personal liberty; poor healthcare for non-COVID patients; and increased mental health vulnerability-there have also been some gains, such a national collective response, which included unprecedented levels of volunteering and then vaccination, revaluing of public service and essential workers, and the recognition of scientific endeavour with the vaccine development and identification of evidence-based treatments. However, unlike most conflicts, the pandemic will not have a definite end; rather, with time, the virus will be ‘managed’ as part of life, like seasonal influenza is managed. Thus, it is likely that COVID-19 will be treated as a notifiable disease until the illness becomes less severe or treatments become so effective that it no longer presents a serious threat to health.
The H1N1 A virus caused the Spanish flu in four global waves and infected up to 500 million people, with many dying from pneumonia because there were no antibiotics. And, as now, it caused huge disruption to lives and national economies. However, that pandemic is barely remembered today-partly because it was a century ago and partly because there have been a couple of major influenza outbreaks since World War II. The world ‘recovered’ after the Spanish flu pandemic and life returned to ‘normal’.
Social restrictions to prevent COVID-19 transmission affected older people's physical activity levels, and significantly more people older than 85 years reported feeling lonely often and showed symptoms of depression compared with those aged 50–64 years (Salman et al, 2021). Social distancing led to social isolation and increased anxiety and depression, especially among women, singletons and those living alone in a sample aged over 50 years (n=7127; mean age=70.7 years) (Robb et al, 2020). Some voluntary organisations were very stretched compensating for the shortfalls of statutory services, especially in trying to meet the needs of marginalised older people (Bergen and Wilkinson, 2021). However, the pandemic also heralded new ways of working and new partnerships, which will widen the reach of voluntary organisations to potential service users.
It would be good if normality after the pandemic retains the successful innovations, partnerships with voluntary organisations and recognition of the health service and healthcare providers as sources of public good and allows the marginalised to integrate fully into British life. But consumers have short memories, so community nurses will need to articulate their value to both commissioners and professional colleagues to ensure that community nursing receives the necessary resources to keep their clients out of hospital (Green, 2021). Importantly, community nurses have demonstrated what they can deliver both in-person and remote care and are highly valued by their clients, providing a strong base for continued innovation and development of community nursing practice. Let us hope that the Nursing and Midwifery Council consultation recognises the importance of district nursing specific standards of proficiency in meeting the nursing needs of those living at home (Queen's Nursing Institute et al, 2021).
𠄘It would be good if normality after the pandemic retains the successful innovations, partnerships with voluntary organisations and recognition of the health service and healthcare providers as sources of public good and allows the marginalised to integrate fully into British life.’