A burden to bear?

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The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected around more than two million people across the globe.

Countries around the world are under weeks of lockdown. A draconian measure indicates either the cases are underreported or the treatment facilities are insufficient for the expected number of cases. Nevertheless, financial remedies, relief packages have been announced as a measure to protect especially the low-income groups, and cushion the economy from the looming crisis.

While most adults still have work and other routines to carry on, school is the primary source of structure and socialization for kids. Children have rich social lives, often experienced almost exclusively in school and extracurricular activities. Schools are the primary providers for lots of essential services and for some children, the only thing standing between them and food insecurity.

So, after having briefly situated yourself in this broad context, would you be able to think of all the people who is bearing the burden of the COVID-19 lockdown?

We’ve talked about bear. Now we’re going to learn the phrase bear the burden.

First let’s learn what burden means.

In this context, burden means something difficult or unpleasant that you have to deal with or worry about:

the burden of responsability

My elderly mother worries that she’s a burden to me.

Buying a house often places a large financial burden on young couples.

Now, bear the burden, means to be responsible for something or accept something:

Parents are bearing the burden of having to do their work and their children’s teachers work during lockdown.

Então, vou esclarecer rapidamente em português. Quando queremos falar que algo é difícil de suportar, dizemos: suportar um peso, carregar uma cruz, carregar um fardo, arcar, arcar com as consequências, pagar o preço, etc. Em inglês a expressão to bear the burden expressa esses sentidos.

Também podemos usá-la dessa forma: burden to bear sendo um fardo/cruz para carregar/ de se carregar. 

So,

COVID-19 is a burden that we all have to bear.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/burden

https://blog.influx.com.br/o-que-significa-burden-bear-em-ingles

Herd immunity?

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In these last few weeks, we’ve been talking about the COVID-19 from many different perspectives. We were first introduced to it, by a quick look at the Coronavirus. Then we learned the instructions you can give to other people in order for them to stay safe. Next we had some food for thought, another good message, a nice song and one more wise message about fear.

The following video is going to teach you a few more important words and combinations of words like: herd immunity, containment, social distance, mild symptons and flatten the curve.

Watch these videos carefully in order to state your opinion about it. Remember, the purpose of these videos is solely to give us language to discuss what we’ve all been going through. There are no ideological or political purposes.

With all respiratory diseases, the only thing that stops the disease is herd immunity. About 80% of the people need to have had contact with the virus, and the majority of them won’t even have recognized that they were infected, or they had very, very mild symptoms, especially if they are children. So, it’s very important to keep the schools open and kids mingling to spread the virus to get herd immunity as fast as possible, and then the elderly people, who should be separated, and the nursing homes should be closed during that time, can come back and meet their children and grandchildren after about 4 weeks when the virus has been exterminated.”

Dr. Knut Wittkowki, is the head of the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design at the Rockefeller University in New York City.

The Rockefeller University is a private graduate university in New York City. It focuses primarily on the biological and medical sciences and provides doctoral and postdoctoral education. Rockefeller is the oldest biomedical research institute in the United States.

Faith rather than fear

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In these last few weeks, we’ve been talking about the COVID-19 from many different perspectives. We were first introduced to it, by a quick look at the Coronavirus. Then we learned the instructions you can give to other people to stay safe. Next we had some food for thought. Then another good message, and finally a nice song.

Now we’re going to listen to what Wakya Un Mani, also known as Vernon Foster, a Lakota Chief and Spiritual Leader, has to say about this disease.

12 Questions Doctors Ask Patients

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As we’re living through a pandemic, the COVID-19, an emerging infectious disease, learning about it has urged. We were first introduced to it, by a quick look at the Coronavirus. Then we explored other perspectives: instructions you can give to other people to stay safe, some food for thought, another good message, and a nice song. Now we’re going to learn some general questions doctors ask patients.

To take a medical history, your healthcare providers simply talk to you. Usually they’ll start by reviewing your medical chart and any previous health problems with you. Then they’ll ask you more specifically about your current symptoms, family history, and lifestyle.

Common questions are:

https://youtu.be/DHH9dxR_lhU

Were you always asked all these questions?

In your opinion, are these questions enough for the doctor to give you the best possible advice?

Do you think that the doctor could be leaving out critical information?

“What’s been going on recently in your life?” Do you think that this could be an important question?

“What changes will you make going forward?” And what about this question?

Tell me what you think.

Thing and stuff

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Thing

The general noun thing is most commonly used to refer to physical objects, but we also use thing to refer to ideas, actions and events:

What’s that thing over there in the car park?

She always says that she hasn’t a thing to wear.

Can you put your things in the upstairs room? (things here = personal belongings)

Anger is a very dangerous thing in a young man.

So don’t rush him. These things take time and we certainly don’t want to upset him.

A holiday? That’s just the thing for you.

A: Hi Geoff. How’s things? (How’s things is a common informal greeting.) B: Fine, thanks. How are you?

In speaking, we commonly use the phrase the thing is. We use it when we want to focus on something, or to indicate that there is a problem:

The thing is … erm … we don’t have time to visit New York as well as Washington.

Yeah, that’s OK, but the thing is, he still hasn’t apologised for being late.

Thing is an example of vague language. It allows speakers not to sound too direct. We often use thing in phrases such as things like that, that kind of thing:

They’re cooking lots of different Italian and Spanish dishes and things like that.

When I worked in a newspaper office, there wasn’t time for eating lunch or that kind of thing, you know.

We also use thing to show both positive (usually affectionate) and negative attitudes, mainly when accompanied by appropriate adjectives:

Our cat is too old now to leave the house, poor thing.

You lucky thing! I wish I had the chance to visit New Zealand.

A: You’re going to get paint on that dress. Why don’t you get changed? B: It doesn’t matter. It’s just an old thing.

Stuff

Stuff is one of the most common nouns in speaking. It is more informal than thing. It is not at all common in writing.

Stuff is an uncountable noun. We use stuff in similar ways to thing, especially in vague language phrases such as stuff like that:

Where can we put our stuff? (our belongings) (very similar to, but more informal than, Where can we put our things?)

She didn’t have much advice to offer. She just told us to learn lots of new English vocabulary and stuff like that.

Now watch this video for an extra perspective on the usage of thing and stuff.

Depending on the context, stuff can suggest a more negative idea:

What’s this stuff on the floor? Que troço é este no chão?

I have some sticky stuff on my shoe. Tem um troço grudento no meu sapato.

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