HI READERS, it’s Emily and William here talking about the news from Public Health England last week about the very high number of deaths of people with learning disabilities from COVID in the first wave of the pandemic. We are pleased there is an urgent review into this because as people with a learning disability ourselves, this report is very worrying for us and our friends.

We find talking about it helpful because otherwise worries can build up in our heads and give us bad mental health.

Our advice is if you have a learning disability or are close to someone who does, then it’s extra important to follow the rules and keep safe. Keep your distance from others, wash your hands regularly, eat a healthy balanced diet, take a walk outside daily if you can, be kind to yourself and others, have a routine and find things to do which make you feel happy. If we are not happy it affects others like those we live with, as they will then worry about us too.

We will both continue keeping safe, especially as I, Emily work in a care home and I, William in the town gardens.

We want people with learning disabilities to be able to get tested more easily for COVID, and be high priority to receive the vaccine. I, Emily, would like to have easier COVID tests, as I find the test at work difficult. I find putting a swab down my throat really hard.

We would like the government to do more generally to help people with learning disabilities stay healthy and well because we are known to have worse health outcomes than the general population.

In the meantime, to all of you out there, stay safe, be sensible, listen to the rules and ask for advice if you need it.

The writers of the Our View column are supported in their editing by People First Dorset - a charity led and run by people with learning disabilities with support from staff.