Local support for test, track and trace with Lemuel Dickie-Johnson

Why is it important for you to share the test, track and trace message?

With all the information that’s out there about the elderly and vulnerable groups, it’s easy to think that as somebody who’s relatively young and fit, COVID-19 isn’t a big issue. That even if you get the virus, you might get ill, but ultimately, you’ll be fine. This may well be true, it may not be a matter of life or death for you, but this doesn’t paint a full picture of the issue we are all facing.

If we don’t take any precautions to protect ourselves from others, and others from ourselves, then we run the risk of spreading COVID-19 more widely. This will increase the risk of people in the vulnerable groups getting infected, even if they follow the guidance and protecting themselves. If they get infected, then it will be a big issue. It will be a matter of life and death.

It is easy to forget that these people are our neighbours and close family. People we care about and love. My mum, for example, suffers from sickle cell anaemia, and so if I, or my young family, don’t follow the guidance, we run the risk of exposing her to the virus when we visit.

I thought it was important to share this message because I think there are many others in similar positions to me that may need a reminder of why we should be following the NHS’s guidance on COVID-19.

How did you approach lockdown?

It took a little while to adjust to lockdown in a small two bed flat with my wife and 20-month-old daughter. We were all getting on top of each other, but then found our own distractions to stay out of each other’s hair!

We decided to do something productive. My wife started baking and making her own body butters (you can follow her on Instagram @crownofnature)... And I decided to start a YouTube channel called Self Invested, where I talk about personal finance topics, such as: investing in the stock market, tips for first-time buyers and improving your credit score.

I’m always talking to friends about money saving tips, and it was something I wanted to do for some time, but only decided to give it a go on YouTube because of lockdown!

How are you ensuring you and your family remain safe during this pandemic?

I think the single biggest thing we do is wash our hands regularly, especially when we get home, visit someone else or have a visitor. This is something we should all be doing anyway. But this period has taught us again why. When I lived at my mum’s, she used to always force me to wash my hands when I got in from outside and she is usually right. It’s so easy, and ultimately inevitable, that we will touch things when we’re outside, and there are lots of harmful germs out there, not just COVID-19. The best way to ensure we don’t spread those germs around our homes is by washing our hands as soon as we get in.

How are you keeping safe over the next few months?

By following the guidance from the NHS. Washing my hands regularly, maintaining social distance outside my home (wherever possible) and wearing a face covering in shops. We are also preparing for winter because if I experience any of the coronavirus symptoms, I’ll be getting a test straight away!

Visit Lemuel’s YouTube channel to see how he and his wife are sharing their financial knowledge.