Don't Panic. Listen and Learn.

Whenever there’s a large-scale health crisis, the natural inclination is to panic for the well-being of our loved ones with compromised immune systems. The funny thing is, in my experience, they are the last ones we need to worry about.

Of course, we need to be on high alert for them and their weakened ability to fight disease. I’ll tell you though, the people I know with psoriatic arthritis know how to maneuver their way around a germ better than anyone.

Let me explain. When we were hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, many people went into complete freak out mode. From the hoarding to not understanding why they couldn’t get up close and personal, it was mayhem.

Psoriatic arthritis precautions

Do you know what my friends with PsA did? They grabbed their masks they've always had ready for a crowded space. They had the sanitizing wipes that they always have to wipe things down. They went for walks and to grocery stores and kept their distance like they always do.

These types of precautions the rest of us all had to learn to do, they already did on a daily basis. I’ve seen my friend navigate a night-before-a-holiday grocery store run with the grace of a ninja.

She almost has a spidey sense of if an aisle will be crowded or who the person most likely to cough and sneeze over everything is and she avoids them with barely a glance. She hasn’t been afraid to throw on gloves or a mask to walk into a store, ever. She’s done it for years.

Navigating social distancing

Socially distancing while walking outside she handles the same style. She will be the first to put herself up on an embankment in order to be far away from passing strangers. She knows how to subtly step backward to be sure to keep that space between family members talking.

She knows an extra wipe down of furniture or a table in a public place is never a bad idea. She’ll whip out wipes like a pro whenever she feels a wipe down is in order.

Social distancing professional

I had the chance to watch her son in a very busy volunteer setting when the pandemic first hit. No one knew what they were doing yet. Everyone’s masks were makeshift and all the knowledge of how far 6 feet had gone out the window.

Not for my friend though. He knew exactly how to deal with it. He’s had PsA since he was five, so navigating with it is truly his way of life. I watched him know when to step away from others when they got to close.

I saw him stand far away and listen for direction. I saw him kindly remind people of the distance needed, without making them feel bad. He had it down.

Learning from our loved ones

While the rest of us worked ourselves up into a tizzy of worry about our loved ones. Our loved ones just tightened up their already good habits and went about their day. Having to handle these scenarios in public to self-isolating for safety, are part of every day for them. And guess what, they’re doing fine.

Rather than lecture them on the dangers of going out to get groceries during this time and trying to educate them on risks, we should have used the time to ask and listen.

Let's use this time to find out how they’re feeling and if they need any support. Ask them how to avoid getting ear chafing from the mask elastic. Get their tips on what to do if someone is standing right in front of the milk you need to grab. They are a wealth of knowledge. They know how to do this. We need to learn from them.