AN ONLINE doctor service is asking for real stories from people recovering from COVID-19 in a bid to help the public better understand what it may be like for the majority of people.
UK-wide service Vala Health hopes by getting people to share their personal experiences of having the virus, it will help the public understand what catching coronavirus might be like for the ‘average’ person who typically goes through it at home and does not need medical treatment.
At the moment, Vala Health, which provides advice from healthcare professionals online and over the phone, thinks people are largely only hearing about the number of people who die after contracting COVID-19, which is creating additional adding anxiety at what is already a very worrying time for everyone.
Pete Trainor, Vala Health CEO explains: “It is vital people are aware of how dangerous the virus can be and the importance of following government advice on self-isolation and social distancing. However, at the same time there is so much sensationalism and inaccurate information being shared, especially on social media, we think it is important to try and address the balance and the best way of doing that is by sharing real stories from a wide variety of people.”
Vala’s doctors have been busy speaking to a wide range of people over the last few weeks and one of the recurring themes seems to be around mixed messages and lack of information about what catching the virus is like, what the symptoms are and how well they will cope with it and recover.
Now in a bid to help people better understand what they could end up experiencing, people are being asked to share their own experiences either by logging onto the website, which is free to join or by emailing.
These COVID-19 stories will be shared with the public via the Vala website and on social media in order to balance some of the sensational ones and myths currently circulating online.
Pete said: “We want people to listen to all government advice and take the necessary precautions, but at the same time we want them to get a more realistic picture of what is going on in order to help people feel connected at a time when so many people are having to self-isolate.
To share your stories please visit www.valahealth.com or email stories@valahealth.com. Individuals can let them know if they would prefer their name not to be made public.