I was a close contact in July and spent two weeks in isolation till the middle of August. this is by no means the most extreme story from a frontline worker - by some miracle, my co-worker didn’t manage to infect anyone they’d been working with.
But the effect was almost the same - the prolonged emotional trauma of a year’s worth of carrying the Australian economy at the cost of relationships and human connection, knowing that others don’t care enough about your life to protect themselves and others, hyper vigilance about any potential for infection - it destroys you. Even though no one else tested positive, the exhaustion and despair still hit. the idea of never truly being able to prepare yourself for this, that your life will never outweigh the importance of your labour, the idea that you will never be really safe, is overwhelming.
I quit, finally, as have many essential workers. The Australian government has spoken about prioritising the economy and financial sector at all costs, but what about those who must get sick and die to keep it alive?
Comic from July, 2021