I was one of a group of broadcasters given a media tour of the CTICC Covid-19 hospital by Premier Alan Winde last week.
And I still don’t think that I am completely over the impact it had on me.
Seeing row upon row upon row of hospital beds in dozens of aisles in a place that is usually reserved for entertainment and fun activities, really drove home for me what is to come.
CTICC has been turned into a temporary Covid-19 hospital. Video: Armand Hough/ANA
I have read books about the grim realities of wartime field hospitals, but nothing can
prepare you for seeing one with your own eyes.
The tour, together with reading an account of how invasive the ventilator treatment is for Covid-19 patients, reading about the relatives of two of my Facebook friends who died of the disease last week and now knowing someone who has it in my circle of friends.
I know there are people out there who are suffering Corona fatigue and who think the media is sensationalising the whole thing.
But all we are doing is listening to the experts and in some cases, perhaps stating the worst-case scenario.
Covid-19 is sadly going to become a reality for many people in the next few weeks.
And yes, most will recover without any problems at all.
But it has always been about the vulnerable, especially the elderly and those with underlying conditions.
Unconventional sight at the CTICC. Picture: Armand Hough/ANA
And the truth is, given our lifestyles these days, most of us have underlying conditions that we are either treating, ignoring or don’t yet know about.
That is what makes this so scary; the fact it could wipe out large numbers of people in a very short space of time.
And trust me when I say that I wish this was the one time the media was actually sensationalising the story.
But the nearly 900 brand-new hospital beds standing in a place where jazz lovers would’ve been enjoying themselves a few weeks ago, is a macabre reminder that it’s not.