The promise David Campbell made to his kids about COVID-19

Television host David Campbell knows you’re scared and anxious – and that you’re tired of hearing about the coronavirus. But, he says, as long as we support each other, then this too shall pass.

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I am not sure if it’s the anxiety or the guilt that’s more overwhelming during this strange time on our planet.

By now, many of us have either been in isolation, tested positive or negative, had a loved one who has been sick with the virus, lost a job, lost a relationship and realised this isn’t a movie or an episode of Black Mirror; this is happening to us all. It’s indiscriminate and we will never be the same.

By now, we wish we would never have heard of it. Wish people would stop talking about it. Wish we could just go to a movie or a concert.

Wish our kids could be in school again, playing with their friends and learning from teachers, not us.

“I am not sure if it’s the anxiety or the guilt that’s more overwhelming during this strange time on our planet.” (Picture: Daniel Nadel for Stellar)

By now, we have called all our relatives who are far away from us to check they have all they need. Food. Check. All their prescriptions filled out, just in case. Check. Toilet paper? Well, enough to get by with.

By now, we are realising something truly scary. The thing that would make us vulnerable, the thing that would send our nations into crisis, the thing that would attack us would not be seen. It would be invisible. Its intent to make us paranoid. Looking at each other and wondering, “Does he have it? Does she have it? Do I have it?”

By now, we’re realising there’s no-one to blame. The enemy was at the tips of our fingers and so our greatest weapon was hand soap.

All those billions spent on fighter jets, submarines and our wonderful brave military, and they couldn’t help us.

So, what do we have? We have each other. We have the ability to step back and realise, like other problems that have pushed our country to the brink – World Wars, depressions, terrorism and bushfires lasting for months, – it too shall pass. If we support each other.

“We have each other.” (Picture: iStock)

The true spirit of Australia isn’t fighting in supermarkets to make sure your pantry is full. It is making sure your neighbour has someone to talk to and a cup of tea.

We have the ability to learn from this. Our leaders, the people with the loudest voices in media, and the nation as a whole.

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We have done it before. I hope this time shows us the potential we have moving forward out of this. Rebuilding our communities. Healing not just our bodies but the soul of this country. So if this happens again, with Covid-20 or SARS 2.0, or whatever may come for us unseen, we are ready.

Ready to protect our sick and vulnerable. Ready for small businesses to stand the strain. Ready for so many people not to face financial ruin. Ready to help families survive. We can do this.

David Campbell’s column features in this Sunday’s Stellar.

We have to. You know why? Because I promised my kids we would. I bet you I’m not the only parent who has made this promise either.

But what exactly was I supposed to say to them? It’s my job to reassure them. To make sure they sleep through the night without having any nightmares. To ensure they don’t lose hope for their future.

Actually, I want them to not think about their future. I want them to play and just enjoy being kids. I want them to dance, sing, laugh and not have a care in the world. I want them not to get sick.

So, yeah, I made a promise I may not be able to keep. So did you. So we need to do everything in our power to keep this promise.

David co-hosts Today Extra, 9am Monday to Friday, on the Nine Network.

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Originally published as The promise David Campbell made to his kids about COVID-19