Over the course of the pandemic, and especially during the time before vaccines were widely available, plenty of people picked up new hobbies. Some baked bread, others embraced home repair and still others found joy through adopting a pet. Perhaps through these activities, the people who engaged in them learned a little more about themselves. But it’s also possible that they learned a little more about those activities — namely, that sometimes they can be painful.
We’re not talking about the emotional pain that comes from your sourdough not rising properly here. No, we’re talking about actual injuries; the kind you’d head to a hospital for. A new report at The Guardian explores a recent analysis of hospital admissions in the United Kingdom, and it sure sounds like some people’s lockdown hobbies gave them serious injuries.
Among them were 8,300 people who were admitted to NHS hospitals in 2020 and 2021 after injuring themselves with hand tools, both powered and non-powered. Over 7,000 people were bitten by dogs during the same period, and over 2,200 incurred burns from hot drinks, food, fats or cooking oil.
That shouldn’t be taken as discouragement from picking up new hobbies, whether you’re living in lockdown or not. But it does bear mentioning: if you are picking up a new hobby (or staying immersed in a long-standing one), make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.
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