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My job of being a General Practitioner is becoming different every day. Most fascinating is video consultations. Within minutes or even seconds, we (patient and doctor) can see each other, understand the talking, breathing, clothes, wound, swelling, coughing, cradle cap and so many more things. Everything works as a cue and we can share ideas then negotiate the best management possible.

In this current challenge thrown at us about social distancing and keeping people safe due to the Coronavirus Diseases 19, in other words, COVID 19, mobiles have stood the test of time. I have always loved technology and its multiple uses. We can send useful links to patients instead of paper leaflets. Various documents can be sent as attachments to the text messages which patients can use in various ways for employment or travel purposes.

I can access my own records on my mobile anytime, order my prescriptions if I had any, book appointments on the phone, attach photos of acne for the doctor to see. Families are managing to monitor blood pressures at home and send us the recordings for us to then vary the medications accordingly. To see the friendly face of a patient on the other side definitely still makes my day worthwhile.

I am missing the older population on videos in a few cases where people don’t have younger generation to help them with technology. Most of the time relatives are helping out in so many different ways. The world has already changed. Somedays I feel there seems so much more compassion these days. Families have more time for each other. So many reasons behind it -may be loss of a job, fear of losing the loved ones, working from home.

We are going to fight this disease and return to a much happier world in a few months. We will break the virus cycle by keeping safe at home as much as possible. Love and happiness to all.