[Mallika]

Hi there,

Thank you for your honest sharing.

If you are worried about being at high risk of illness in the event that you get COVID-19, I think it makes absolute sense for you to take all necessary precaution. It wouldn't be right to have you get back to work given that things are still "raw" from the aftermath of the peak in COVID-19 cases.

I understand you boss is limited by the university's safety protocols, but perhaps you could write an email or call your boss and explain your situation? Try requesting your boss for an extended work-from-home setting and explain how your condition might put you at greater risk of sickness. If your boss is not understanding, is there another higher-up you could contact? Usually at a university there might be other advisors/staff you might be able to coordinate too.

I understand that this is an extremely uncertain and confusing scenario for you, but let's try to be as optimistic as possible. I can imagine that it's natural to think of death and sickness, but remember that sometimes the scenarios we think of are a lot worse than reality i.e. things need not necessarily be as bad as we might expect them to be. That said, it's still important that you take all necessary precaution so as to not expose yourself to any infection at this point.

As for therapy, if you feel that you want to have someone to talk to, you can try looking online for local crises hotlines/mental health hotlines. Samaritans is one such option. These usually have trained volunteers who will be able to guide you better. Another thing you could do is listen to some videos/podcasts by some counsellors or lifestyle coaches (I know Jay Shetty does free podcasts) - it might not be equivalent to therapy but it might be a nice idea to have someone speak some positive, uplifting things to you.

If you have anything you'd like to lift off your chest or if you simply want to have a chat, you are free to PM me