Postcards depict how those most vulnerable to Covid are being forgotten in re-opening

Sick Cards Artist Aine O Hara, who has fibromyalgia, a disorder linked to musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and memory issues, said it can be easy to forget people who stay home.

People with disabilities and others still at risk from Covid-19 are being forgotten in the rush to re-open society, an artist collecting ‘sick cards’ from affected people for an exhibition has said.

Reading the postcards has been “tough”, artist Aine O’Hara said as they reveal the extent to which many people are still restricting their activities.

The cards highlight a new type of loneliness, she said, explaining: “At the start of the pandemic, we were all in this together. You are totally alone in it now, especially in a rural area.” 

Some people wrote poems about feeling isolated, and one person drew a sketch of a man sitting alone on a sofa, with a puddle growing around his feet.

Another card is a collage made from letters sent to support the person in isolation, including the message ‘thinking of you’ on it. Others expressed a wish to meet online with the artist or to create a public online space to talk about their challenges. 

“It’s also upsetting to think so many people are in this situation,” she said.

“We talk so much about inclusion. The message has not gotten through that Covid accessibility issues are accessibility.” 

Among other concerns raised is the lack of adequate ventilation at venues and fears about Long Covid. She said in many ways Long Covid is a "mass disabling event" which is not always recognised. 

One card is a collage made from letters sent to support the person in isolation.

“If the reason I can’t go to a show is because people are not masked and I’m not safe, then that is an accessibility issue,” she said.

“That is the same as you leaving me at the bottom of 40 stairs and saying you can see it but you have to climb these 40 stairs. 

"I don’t think it is getting through that streaming performances online is accessibility, masking in venues is accessibility in the same way as having captioned performances is.” 

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Ms O’Hara, who has fibromyalgia, a disorder linked to musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and memory issues, said it can be easy to forget people who stay home.

She said the cards show “a lot of frustration” especially among young people whose peers are returning to normal socialising.

Some people wrote poems about feeling isolated, and one person drew a sketch of a man sitting alone on a sofa, with a puddle growing around his feet.

“It’s tough to have these conversations, but it’s both tough and incredible to see that I am not the only one feeling this way,” she said.

“You have to explain to others that this is a serous situation, and then be met with disbelief when you’re trying to keep yourself safe. It can be very difficult to convince people.” 

The Dublin-based Mayo artist will collate these ‘sick cards’, and others gathered during 2021 for an online exhibition in October, with an in-person show at the Axis art centre in Dublin.

Further details on Ms O’ Hara’s Instagram account @misc.aine.