Christmas card showing an illustration of Santa Claus delivering gifts

Christmas card showing an illustration of Santa Claus wearing a face mask delivering toilet rolls and hand sanitiser saying "Ho Ho Ho, What a Year", commissioned and sold by Shelter, 2020

In the United Kingdom, the first national lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus began on 23 March 2020. It was preceded by panic buying for toilet paper causing shortages in shops and supermarkets. Hand hygiene including the use of hand sanitiser is one of the ways of preventing the spread of COVID-19 as well as social distancing.

The charity Shelter supports people with housing issues including homelessness, campaigns for tackling the causes and consequences of the housing crisis and is involved in research and policy. COVID-19 has impacted many people’s lives. During the first national lockdown, the three most common triggers of homelessness were households no longer being able to stay with families and friends, the loss of a private tenancy and domestic abuse.