The pandemic has been difficult for just about anyone; people from all walks of life have been affected in one way or the other. While some may argue that those of certain economic brackets may feel the adverse effects a little less, the fear of your loved ones being affected is not relative to how much money you make.
However, there is a certain group of people in society that was adversely affected by the pandemic, regardless of what socio, political, or economic class they belonged to – and that is our elderly. When Covid-19 was at its peak in early 2020, it was widely believed to be affecting only the elderly, with the young bucks of the world taking things quite lightly. However, we’ve come a long way since and are well aware that everyone is different, and that the virus does not discriminate.
Despite what we may know now, senior citizens remain particularly vulnerable; it is an unfortunate fact of life that our bodies weaken as we age, and aging comes with a myriad of psychological, social, and environmental vulnerabilities. Frailty in older adults brings in the risk of various infections and decrease in all forms of immune response. In addition, the elderly have multiple comorbidities and increased hospitalisations, which increase the chance of contracting the virus during a pandemic.
Advancing age is a challenge we must all navigate eventually. However, doing so amidst a pandemic brings with it a host of its own unique challenges, and in exploring the world views of older adults who are currently wading the thicket of Covid-19, we reached out to a number of individuals who shared their experience with us.
For some of us, barely crossing two to three decades on this Earth, with at least one-third of it spent under the protective shelters of institutions, there’s not a lot we know, and in not knowing, the challenges we are faced with seem gargantuan. Covid-19 has felt much like the worst possible thing that could happen to mankind, but if you happen to be turning 100 years old amidst this pandemic like Bede Anandappa, it may just feel like a mild inconvenience.
The story of Bede Anandappa and others
A centenarian in good health, Bede shared that the most difficult thing has been the limitations on seeing his loved ones. Having turned 100 just last year, Bede, who would otherwise have been surrounded by his extensive family, had to limit himself to an understated birthday celebration. He, however, said that he had the opportunity to visit church for the first time in a while, a luxury that was not afforded to him as part of the demographics particularly vulnerable to the virus.
A hundred years is not a trivial number, and Bede has forgotten about more things than you or I have yet to see. In 2019, when Sri Lankan experienced the Easter Sunday bombings, we prayed that it would be the last such tragedy we will have to witness in our lifetime. But having lived through World War II, where he was present for the Japanese Easter Sunday Raid, with the bombings visible from his home in Kotahena, Bede has now lived through two Easter Sunday bombings.
Just last week on 23 February, Bede received the Covid-19 vaccine at Campbell Park and has been doing his best to maintain social distancing as advised.
Born on 16 January 1925, Dottie Fernando, a resident of Galle Fort who just turned 96 years, comes from a family of 10 – five boys and five girls. Dottie herself has six kids, and now has eight grandkids and 12 great-grandchildren.
Living through the pandemic, Dottie stated that she simply stays inside, and despite having frequented the temple pre-Covid-19 at least once a week, all that has had to stop.
She did, however, share that as someone who didn’t go out a lot, she didn’t feel massively restricted, and that she made sure to keep herself occupied doing things she enjoyed, such as making beeralu lace, sewing, reading newspapers, having a particular love of tabloids and gossip columns as well as watching her teledramas.
Dottie shared that in her lifetime, the things that stand out to her as having been particularly troubling were of course World War II and the 2004 tsunami. She also vaguely recalled the Spanish flu, but considering that it never made it to Galle and Down South, she said she wouldn’t know how that felt.
She shared that the tsunami was one of the most memorable experiences – something you’ve heard about only in books, but to witness it in real life was very different. However, she vividly does recall the times she spent during World War II, which she said was quite similar to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) insurrection, “where you have to cover all the lighting, and not have the lights being seen”.
She said there were underground tunnels in case of attack where they would go and hide. They never had to do it in real life, though, but ran drills to become familiar with it. “The post office would ring the siren. You had to close your ears and go into the tunnel,” she said. She recalls being intimidated by the African-American slaves recruited in the Army and Italian prisoners of war being carried in Mountbatten trains to the Boossa Prison in Galle.
Having lived through most of the “recent” tragedies we’ve undergone as Lankans, Dottie said that to be honest, society really hasn’t changed much in the way they react to or deal with a crisis; from now and then, at least to her, it all feels the same.
We also spoke with K.S. Sivakumaran. Born on 31 October 1936, Sivakumaran is 84 years old and is currently remaining in hospital after being hospitalised for some medical complications unrelated to Covid-19. He said that he is being kept in for observation to reduce the risk of catching the ongoing virus.
He said that since he has been in hospital for the majority of the spread of the pandemic, he hasn’t really felt any differently about the state of the outside world. However, his two sons who are abroad are unable to visit him, as their travel has been restricted due to pandemic precautions.
Sivakumaran shared that as a journalist, he did experience some difficulties during past times of crisis, with the 1971 JVP insurrection being a particularly notable challenge. However, he said that he was more directly affected by the riots in July 1983, recalling a time when they were burgled while in Saraswathi Hall, restricted from travelling, and remained inside waiting for things to settle down.
Listening to the lives lived, living even for half that time feels surreal and the experiences one gathers as you live through the ups and downs society throws your way can really change one’s perspective on life. Speaking to all these lovely people, we were most inspired about the resilient power of human nature.
Humans are so strong in their own ways, and many of those we spoke to shared the mentality that “this too shall pass”; nothing is really forever and when you are young, everything feels extra-large and unbearable, but when you’ve lived a bit and seen things, there isn’t a lot that can phase you. While many may assume, someone with experience knows for a fact that things will get better, and when the time comes, we won’t even remember the struggle, but will just be happy to be alive.
