‘Wear a mask to stop the rot’ urges retired Limerick nurse
SEVENTY EIGHT-year-old Bridie McMahon says the worst day of her life was when people panic shopped in supermarkets across the country.
It was after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had announced the closure of schools and thousands upon thousands began stockpiling food and toilet paper.
“There were queues upon queues of people. All those trolleys and everybody standing so close together in supermarkets that you would think it was Christmas.
“They were standing together for hours. I cried when I got home because I said those people are going to get the virus,” said Ms McMahon, who gets emotional as she talks about it.
As a former nurse with several diplomas including one in infectious diseases from the Royal College of Surgeons, she knows exactly how dangerous and life threatening the Covid-19 pandemic is.
“I wear a mask to cover my nose and mouth. It is so important to protect from droplet infection. We have to do everything to protect ourselves. Wear a mask to stop the rot,” said Ms McMahon, who called on more people to wear masks or failing that a scarf or a towel wrapped around their head.
Ms McMahon has three masks – one costing €25. She also gave one of the expensive ones to a neighbour who has emphysema.
She also wears sunglasses to protect her eyes, practices good hand hygiene and puts gloves on her hands. The Woodview Park resident also practices the two metre social distancing when doing her shopping. And she isn’t afraid to tell others who are not obeying the rules.
“Three people were speaking close together in a store. I said, ‘Where is your social distancing?’ They got a fright and moved apart,” said Ms McMahon, who praised supermarkets and shops for quickly bringing in social distancing measures, hand sanitisers and limits on entry in their stores. She is also keeping a distance from her grandchildren.
“The taoiseach is doing a very good job, especially being a doctor he understands it. This is a dangerous virus. It knows no barriers, no nationalities, no age groups - we have seen a lot of 35 to 45-year-olds.
“I know masks aren’t 100% but it definitely helps. If this message can save one life or one person from getting Covid-19...” said Ms McMahon. Please see the HSE website on how to protect yourself and others from coronavirus.