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Do you need a corona cleanse?

ΥΠΟΧΡΕΩΤΙΚΗ Η ΧΡΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΜΑΣΚΑΣ

There is a bar in Rome that has banned corona conversation. Apparently the owners are so sick of everyone dwelling on the pandemic, they’ve forbidden patrons to mention anything related to Covid-19, lockdowns or virology, and have kindly posted a list of substitute topics – including history and culture – on which customers may converse freely.

Some will think this a strange idea: how dare anyone limit our freedom to talk about whatever we want, at great length? But others will disagree. Because there’s a certain relief to enjoying a good old natter with friends, knowing that corona is off the conversational menu.

How many chats have you had lately which DON’T include the pandemic? We talk about the number of cases, whether masks really work, the economic fallout. Even the briefest exchange tends to include a “when this is all over, let’s…”

Corona is an omnipresent subject in our lives and our conversation. Because it’s affecting almost everything we do, it’s our go-to topic, much like the heat in summer, or the haircut a few years ago. But unlike the temperature or the island’s finances, what makes corona even more appealing is its divisiveness: everyone has been affected, and everyone has an opinion, and that makes for the perfect conversational fodder. But while some may enjoy dissecting every measure, thought and effect at great length, others are moving quietly towards what has been dubbed ‘the corona cleanse’.

Much like a social media or dietary cleanse, the corona cleanse involves conscious avoidance. But in this case, it’s an avoidance of focusing too much on the pandemic, be it in conversation or from the media.

“Hearing constant updates about the news and worrying developments of friends and family can feel overwhelming,” says a recent article published in the New York Times, which goes on to suggest a list of alternative conversational topics, including “Are you binge-watching anything good right now?” and “Have you tried any new recipes?”

Whether or not these alternate topics work probably depends very much on the individual. Your husband’s shock when you casually ask him what he’s cooking for dinner might bring his corona diatribe to a screeching halt, but it’s probably not going to solve the bigger problem. Instead, a conscious corona cleanse may be a longer-term answer.

Medical Worker Holds Pfizer/biontech Covid 19 vaccine at The Hospital In Ventspils

“For me, it’s the figures which get me down,” says Nicosia-based teacher Elli Martin. “For the first few months of the pandemic, I would anxiously await the media release of the number of cases each day, logging in and out of news sites before calling friends to discuss the latest numbers. It took a long time for me to realise this wasn’t healthy; that it was heightening my anxieties and leaving me unable to get to sleep each evening. Instead, I now avoid the media – and social media too – for two or three hours before bed.”

Larnaca resident and 70-year-old retiree Socrates Aristidou has taken it one step further. “I skip over any corona posts on Facebook, and I’ve even deleted friends who seem to do nothing but post about the pandemic. It’s not healthy to be so consumed by corona: we all know people who have it, we’re all doing our best to meet the regulations and keep ourselves and others safe, but that doesn’t mean we need to actively seek out more and more information, or engage in endless discussion. I think there’s a point at which you have to cut loose, and start trying to live a more normal life.

“I’m not saying,” he adds, “that you shouldn’t wear a mask or adhere to the curfew. I absolutely think it’s important we listen to the government directives, and I make sure I know exactly what I should be doing to protect the vulnerable. But that doesn’t mean I have to spend every hour of my day looking up facts and figures, or talking about Covid-19. In fact, I make every effort to avoid the merry-go-round when it comes up in conversation,” he continues. “If I’m chatting to a friend who won’t stop going on about corona, I’ll either hang up or change the subject: our normal lives may have been curtailed, but there’s still so much we can do and say that’s non-corona related. And that is better for us, I think.”

Although Penny Michalidou doesn’t ban corona conversation, and still follows the daily case numbers fairly closely, she does advocate a certain amount of ‘cleansing’. “Our two kids are bombarded with corona during school,” she explains. “I’m not saying that’s a bad thing – the distancing and hygiene measures are a good thing, and I’m pleased the school is doing everything they can to protect the children. But the last thing our seven- and nine-year-old need when they come home is to hear yet more about the pandemic…

“We’ve talked to them about what they need to do, why they need to wash their hands and maintain their distance, that sort of thing, and they’re already anxious enough as it is; kids absorb far more worry than we think. So my husband and I make sure that when they come home any talk of corona is limited. And the news always stays off,” she adds, “until they’re both in bed.”

Increased hours of watching the news, surfing the web, or chatting to friends is an inevitable effect of more time spent at home. But despite the perks of feeling connected, this may not necessarily be a good thing. A never-ending feed of corona-related topics can set off anxiety, and talking to people who can’t be steered away from their go-to Covid-19 rant can be draining. It may be odd to think that a bar – albeit in Rome, not Cyprus – can ban all talk of such an ever-present threat. But then strange times do call for strange measures. And these are very strange times indeed.

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