Coronavirus is Ruining Our Lives: And It Shouldn’t
Coronavirus is taking the world by storm.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (which I wouldn’t judge you if you have been, as I often do the same) – you already know that Coronavirus, otherwise known as CODV-19 virus, is now a worldwide health emergency.
As of March 2020, there are over 120,000 cases across the globe, present on all seven continents besides Antarctica. I believe that around 64,000 have recovered, and around 3,500 haven’t survived – many of them being elderly or people with underlying health conditions.
Last night, I got a devastating email. An email that most college kids would be jumping up and down for, but an email that has the potential to break my heart.
I’m a senior in my last semester at the University of Maryland at College Park, and last night – I was notified that classes will resume from March 30th until at least (‘at least’ being the unfortunate, operative word) April 10th.
The email also stated that a decision about Spring Commencement 2020 is pending.
I didn’t even have any interest in walking that stage before. I mean, it’s 30,000 people in black gowns and absolute chaos. My family would be going to a three-hour ceremony and catch a 4.2456 second glimpse of me. I didn’t think it was worth it… but now, knowing that the opportunity could be taken away from me… I might be changing my mind.
These are the last few moments of this chapter in my life in Maryland. I will be absolutely crushed if the rest of the semester is to take place behind a computer screen – a place where I can’t make memories with professors and friends.
For the first time today, I didn’t mind driving. I took advantage and appreciated my mundane lifestyle that I didn’t realize how much I respected until I heard news about my school temporarily closing.
You don’t realize what a privilege it is to socialize, to travel, to go to school, or to attend a concert until these basic, day-to-day joys are taken away from you.
Let coronavirus serve as a reminder that your life is a privilege, and that the things you inherently expect can easily change at any given moment.
I actually broke down into tears today in French class to my peers expressing how upset I was about this.
I read one time, that when you cry, it’s because you don’t have the words yet to express how you feel.
My problem with the coronavirus, is that I, alongside the world, don’t have the slightest clue in what’s happening or the proper ways to handle this (what could’ve been completely preventable) situation.
As a writer, the only way that I learn how to make my piece with things is to make the thoughts running lose in my mind tangible for the rest of the world to read: no matter what kind of backlash I’m about to receive.
I understand why Coachella is being delayed and these school’s decisions to cancel classes as a precaution… but I also don’t think that this is the answer.
Closing down schools, cancelling concerts, forbidding travel – all of this goes against everything that I stand for and believe in.
My best friend and I have plans to go to New York City for Spring Break. UMD has sent me an email to be extremely cautious of any travel over bus or train.
But guess what?
We’re still going.
I refuse to let fear perpetuated by the media stop me from living my life. No matter how upsetting, or disappointing it is that for the next month: I will be locked up in my little neighborhood – I will not let it stop me.
I will not let coronavirus stop me from getting coffee with a friend and catching up.
I will not let coronavirus stop me from going to a concert.
I will not let coronavirus stop me from enjoying Manhattan.
I will not coronavirus let it stop me from making it to France this summer.
These past two weeks, I’ve been washing my hands extra-long, and taking an extra pump of soap. Before leaving College Park today, in the bathroom – a girl washing her hands beside me took a cautious look at the soap dispenser before pushing the lever a second time. I jokingly remarked,
“I know, right? These days, we’re all washing are hands extra well…”
She chuckled, and agreed with me before I continued,
“I’m so upset...”
“No, I know – I was so surprised when I got the email last night.”
“I don’t think that the world putting life on pause is the answer.”
With our foamy hands fully submersed in Purell’s antibacterial bubbles, I raised them to her and exclaimed,
“See, this! You and I are doing the best we can do right now. Washing our hands, taking care of ourselves… the fact that they are thinking of cancelling graduation – I’m a senior and this is my last semester, and –”
“Oh, no… I understand.”
“– I’m going to be really disappointed if my last semester of college is spent behind a computer screen. I guess we’ll just have to hope that in two weeks, that this all calms down.”
Look… I came back from Japan, from Asia – where this virus started a mere ten days before it hit the media. My diet wasn’t as nutritious as it could have been, I was exposed to new germs in a new country, and I because I was constantly on the move – I was barely sleeping.
My immune system was arguably compromised… and yet, here I am. I came back from an international trip… and I’m fine.
After expressing my sadness this morning, when my French teacher asked us all how we were doing this morning and I responded,
“Je suis très triste…”
She then asked me why, knowing that it was rare for my vivacious personality to be put to a staggering hault,
“Porqoui?!”
“Parce que… the university is closing, and it’s my last semester in college, and events are getting canceled, and… this is all, just, sad – to me.”
“Well, it’s only for two weeks.”
“Well… let’s see what happens.”
“J'espère que c'est fermé pendant deux semaines, et pas plus.”
I’ll try and leave hope for the best like my French teacher this morning, as I pray to the universe or whatever the hell is up there that at the end of the day, one day– coronavirus will merely be something that showed us how easily the world can come together, put our differences aside – and fight catastrophe as citizens of the world.