Wow… I feel like life took a huge turn since my last post. This virus is officially affecting everyone in so many different ways but as students, I think the hardest thing is switching to an online method of learning. This is a very unprecedented time and nobody could have imagined how much our lives we would have to put on hold. Some of us were looking forward to galas, banquets, conventions, and even graduation but sadly, most of our events have been canceled. Personally, this is my last semester and although I came into this semester very unsure about what the next six months meant, I looked forward to experiencing everything with my friends. That said, instead of dwelling in the sadness, I have decided to accept the things I have no control over and experience life the only way I can.
Social media these past few days has oddly been a place of comfort for me. Like I said earlier, a lot of people are being affected and are either being forced to quarantine themselves or have chosen to self-quarantine to help flatten the curve and reduce the spread of this virus. First, I think this is the most responsible thing to do because we are putting the need of others before ours and that is powerful. Humans uniting for the good of everyone is the only way we can fight such a heartbreaking pandemic. I don’t think I fully understood the extent to which people could potentially die from this virus until I watched a video by an immunosuppressed twelve-year-old. My heart broke as I heard her story about going through so much at the age of four when she had pneumonia. She explained that this resulted in sepsis which is multiple organ failure and ultimately resulted in her loss of kidney function. She was eventually placed on life support and her healing was honestly miraculous. The human coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause pneumonia and bronchitis and not everyone is fortunate enough to survive the toll that this disease has on the body. There are also not enough ECMO machines (life support), ICU beds, regular beds in the hospitals to treat everyone that might need help if we don’t stop the spread. By staying at home, we are saving the lives of many people like hers and your loved ones. Think about it.
We don’t know how much longer this will go on and I think that is scarier. living with this uncertainty can genuinely drive a person crazy, trust me. Since last fall, I have been unsure about what my life would look like after CCBC and I just try not to think about it because it scares me. That said, the entire country is going crazy stockpiling and that actually cracks me up. why are we buying toilet paper? like I am pretty sure there are more important survival items that we could get. Having the money to stockpile is a big flex and privilege honestly because not everyone has the money to buy as many items and if you take everything from the store, it leaves them with nothing. I watched a TikTok video of a mom crying about not being able to find diapers because she didn’t have money to buy 10 cases like everyone else and now the shelves are empty. Some have even gone as far as buying baby wipes in place of toilet paper. please don’t be one of those people. in the spirit of putting the need of others before ours please be considerate when you go grocery shopping. I also heard some grocery stores like dollar general are designating shopping time to senior customers to help keep them safe. please do not be the person that shows up during that time. we all have to work together to flatten the curve and it starts with you.
A little science for you. Viruses are only alive in living hosts/organisms and utilize their genetic information. That said, this particular virus is more dangerous because it mutates and that makes it harder to control or find a vaccine. This virus goes into cells does its stuff that I wouldn’t bore you with but it ends up in the upper respiratory tracts. Think of it like this, the virus breeds in living hosts, so it does not plan on killing you. it leaves when you cough or sneeze or spit in someone’s face and starts there and just keeps going. Does this even make sense? COVID 19 is much worse because some people are asymptomatic which means they look and sound healthy but could be carrying the virus. That is scary because that person could pass it to their asymptomatic friend who could pass it to their parents or grandparents who might not survive. please stay home. Also, if we do not all stay at home now, the time we have out of school will be a complete waste and we might have to stay longer. I know its hard to stay at home and for some of your jobs make it impossible. if you fall under that category, please stay safe to do your part in reducing the spread.
All that said, I do not intend to scare you more than the media already has but the scarier part is not having the information to help keep you and your family safe. I am home alone, trying to gather all the motivation I can before online school officially starts on March 30th but before then I would like to enjoy my spring break. Facetime, TikToks, iMessage games, Instagram, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ have been my best friends this break because- hellurrrr- social distancing. I advise you to do the same, it’s quite therapeutic. it took so much for me to get up and type this blog because I’ve been lazy and procrastinating but that’s what spring break is about. enjoy your break. This is my first break in a long time so I am not complaining. Also, some celebrities have been holding online concerts all week on Instagram live and let me tell you, from a non-concert-goer, this was a good way to almost watch them live. get on it. I watched Charlie Puth’s and John Legend and ugh I can’t wait for more.
Remember, we are all in this together and we will get through it together. Stay safe and practice good personal hygiene and social distancing. I love you.
