For many people around the world, last week was incredibly surreal. For those in Europe it was when the stark reality of the situation became crystal clear. Covid-19 has now firmly taken a hold on the continent and cases continue to increase at an alarming rate.





Here in Ireland, the Government decided to close all schools, creches and museums on Wednesday afternoon to limit the spread of the virus. They've also advised people to limit their social interactions and have banned large gatherings of people. Despite this advice, some people still still crammed into bars around the country on Thursday night.

A decision eventually came on Sunday to close all pubs and bars down temporarily. Other European countries have taken different approaches, the UK still hasn't decided to close down schools. Italy meanwhile is in total lockdown and the likes of France and Spain aren't far off it.





It's worrying times and rightly so, but as individuals we can help stop the spread of the virus and stop it reaching those who are most vulnerable. The best way to limit the spread is to stay at home and avoid social contact. We all have different hobbies and interests and now is the perfect time to actually pursue them.





"If you're that person that hasn't touched your console since launch day, now is the perfect time to jump back in."





If you're someone who plays video games, it seems that for once it's actually the right thing to do. If you're a hardcore gamer who has a massive backlog of games, now is time to chip away at it. If you're more of a casual gamer, maybe now it's time to try out something new. If you're that person that hasn't touched your console since launch day, now is the perfect time to jump back in.

For most of our lives as gamers we're told to "grow up" or go outside instead of playing games. While it's definitely a good thing to balance your gaming with other activities, based on the current circumstances playing games all day is to be encouraged.





That's not to say that you shouldn't leave the house, in fact it's important to still go out and exercise. After playing some Civilization V yesterday, I went out for my usual run to take a break from gaming, In general, we should really be limiting our interactions with people and thankfully with gaming you can always talk to your friends online.





While we're still being advised to go about our day normally, it doesn't mean we should be heading to pubs to socialise like we normally do. You're actually a huge risk to others by being so reckless and it's a slap in the face to healthcare workers who are doing everything they can to treat those who have the virus.





Staying home and watching Netflix or playing games is actually a selfless act at this time. The more we stay in doors, the less chance we have of getting the disease or spreading it to someone else. We're lucky to live in a time where we're always connected and don't need to see each other face to face. We can still communicate with our friends and family without having to leave the house.





Public health messaging





Despite the various warnings, there are still those who are not getting the message. While the virus may not affect those who are young and healthy as badly, it doesn't mean you can just live the same way you always have. While it's true that a lot of younger generations don't watch the evening news, it doesn't mean they're not informed about the situation.





We owe it to our friends and family members to follow the instructions from the Government and healthcare professionals. We need to think collectively and not individually because that's how you limit the reach of the virus. As one doctor put it, if we act like we already have the virus we will be much more careful about how we interact with others.





It's time for us to come together as a community and help those who are most vulnerable. Having a sense of community is something that has been eradicated in recent years but we now have a genuine chance to come together and help each other.





"Gaming has always brought people together and it's during times like this that it really comes into focus."





Gaming has always brought people together and it's during times like this that it really comes into focus. So heed people's warnings and stay in doors as much as possible. Video games can so often be an escape from the real world and in this case it can be a way for us to minimise the spread of a deadly virus.





I know things are scary right now and people are being laid off left and right because businesses are closing, but we have a duty to help others and if that means restricting our social interactions, so be it. So play your favourite game, read that book you got for christmas or watch your favourite movie, because we don't know how long this will last and it's not often that we have time to truly appreciate what we love to do most.



