Times Of Swaziland: LETTER TO YOUNG PEOPLE LETTER TO YOUNG PEOPLE ================================================================================ The Editor on 02/08/2020 00:24:00 Madam, The coronavirus pandemic has upended much of what we have in place to help young people thrive; school, mentoring, sports and the arts. From before birth through the early 20s, while children and youth are actively developing, these community resources and relationships remain absolutely essential. School-at-home programmes are doing the best to support young people’s academic growth, but most are doing too little to foster their social development. During adolescence, peer social contact is a vital protective factor against mental health disorders. In this crisis, all youth are vulnerable to anxiety, depression and suicide. Friendships boost young people’s ability to manage stress and work through problems. However, it’s important that young people know and understand that they are not the only ones missing out on their lives. We are all experiencing significant changes in our daily lives and routines, and we are all living with lots of uncertainty about the coming weeks and months. During lockdown, we have had to stay home for long periods and we have been instructed to keep our distance from others. Young people have become aware of keeping themselves and others safe. conducting As some of the lockdown measures began to ease, most young people became reckless. They are conducting themselves like it is pre-COVID. They are not social distancing, not wearing masks or paying attention to hand washing. They seem not to be aware that these are the only tools we have to break the chain of transmission. During the past few weeks, we have seen a skyrocketing number of people who are contracting the virus in the country. There are now over 2 000 confirmed cases in the kingdom. Young people tend to feel invisible and may think that the coronavirus is not as problematic for their age as it is for older people. They tend to push back when they are told they can’t go out and get together with their friends. They want to see their friends and don’t see why social distancing should apply to them. Young people should know that the coronavirus is an exponential thing and it is not really about them. It is not really about the fact that you feel fine. It is the fact that you could be an asymptomatic carrier of the virus, and you could kill others, especially your parents and grandparents. It is important to emphasise that you can’t know that your friends are well. And while you might be comfortable taking the risk, you’re also bringing that back to your house or home. While we have heard from experts that the virus is most dangerous to the elderly and those with chronic diseases, it can be devastating to younger victims as well. devastating This is a devastating disease, and this is not something you want to take chances with because the impact is just so variable that it is very hard to predict who is going to do well and who is not. Practising healthy habits during these stressful times is very essential. If we can all be honest and consistent, and adhere to these safety regulations, we can beat this virus. You need to protect yourself first so you can protect your family and friends. The country needs you to step up and do the right thing. Brand Shota