The Coronavirus pandemic currently circling around the world will leave its mark in history: not only for the impact it is having in the social, economic, and political aspects of every country, but because this virus has affected every single person on Earth despite social class, race, background, gender, age, or place of residence. The whole world is currently in lockdown. A perfect way to describe the state of the global community is from various photos I have seen in social media from abandoned cities such as New York City, Paris, and London, all whose captions’ read “Sorry, the Earth is currently closed.” 

A situation report by WHO mentions the people most vulnerable to getting infected, “evidence to date suggests that two groups of people are at a higher risk of getting severe COVID-19 disease. These are older people (that is people over 60 years old); and those with underlying medical conditions (such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer.)”  However, I would say there are more ways to fall victim to the virus than simply contracting it, and that has to do with the way people are coping with the effect COVID-19 is having in their lives. One of these is the fact that to reduce the amount of infected citizens at a time and to make sure that people are safe, governments have enacted a stay at home policy, which forces everyone to stay in lockdown without being able to physically see family and friends. Additionally, COVID-19 has also led the global economy to a drastic downturn that has resulted in over thirty million Americans to file for unemployment, which has ensued in an exponential increase of children and adults (specifically around forty-two million Americans according to ABC news) who suffer food insecurity. These are only some of the ways the virus has affected those that are not infected, and these effects have a serious impact in the mental health of individuals. In fact, in an article by BBC, Rory O’Connor, a professor of the University of Glasgow, said that, “Increased social isolation, loneliness, health anxiety, stress and an economic downturn are a perfect storm to harm people’s mental health and wellbeing.” In other words, Coronavirus has an undeniable effect on people’s mental wellbeing.

Much like everyone else, Coronavirus has affected my life as well. The last few months of my senior year were supposed to be celebrated with all types of different events and I was supposed to spend time with friends who will be hundreds of miles away from me in the next four years. Instead, I have spent these last few months isolated in my home. In fact, my last day of school for an institution which I have been attending for almost twelve years was celebrated through a computer screen. Even though my Senior year is not playing out the way I expected it to, what most gives me stress is the fact that there is so much uncertainty for what lies in the future. Will I be able to have a graduation and a prom? Will I be able to see my friends? I will be able to attend college in the fall? When will this be over?

The novel Coronavirus has left me mentally distraught, yet I regain my mental strength and stability by calling friends and other family members, as well as staying away from the news and keeping myself entertained. I also think of the people who have it a lot worse than me in this situation: nurses and doctors working in the frontlines, people who are mentally ill and are unable to get the proper services to be treated during these moments, those who have lost their jobs, those who have their jobs but are not getting any income, those who are starving, and those who are infected. 

This virus has taught me many things, yet I would say that what it has mostly affected my way of thinking. I realized that before the virus was making headlines in the news everyday and had taken thousands of lives, I was taking little things for granted. Be it eating out in a restaurant or going out to the movies or having my friends over at my house or driving to school every single day; COVID-19 has helped me realize that it is important to celebrate and live every moment to the fullest because one will never know when things are going to be different. I always remember the last day I spent in Baldwin: completely unaware that I would never have the opportunity to go back as a student and that I would never have a proper last day of school like the one I dreamed of years before. When the pandemic ends, I will make sure to seize every opportunity and enjoy every moment like it will be my last: that is my new way of thinking.

I think that the Coronavirus will result in a new era for mankind, as there will not only be substantial changes in the dynamic of society, in regards to its social, economic, and political aspects (such as a newfound importance of technology), but the mentality of people around the world is bound to change. The world will not go back to what it was before, even if a vaccine is found; the global community will be more mature and ready for any new challenge it faces, and personally I will make sure to live the most prosperous life possible.

Bibliography

“Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report – 51.” World Health

Organization, 11 Mar. 2020, www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200311-sitrep-51-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=1ba62e57_10#:~:text=The%20virus%20that%20causes%20COVID,provisions%20and%20social%20care. Accessed 5 May 2020.

Hamm, Danielle. “Mental health suffers under the lockdown.” The Guardian,

Guardian News, 30 Apr. 2020, www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/30/mental-health-suffers-under-the-lockdown. Accessed 5 May 2020.

Roxby, Philippa. “Coronavirus: ‘Profound’ mental health impact prompts calls

for urgent research.” BBC News, 16 Apr. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/health-52295894. Accessed 5 May 2020.

Tappe, Anneken. “30 million Americans have filed initial unemployment claims

since mid-March.” CNN Business, Cable News Network, edition.cnn.com/2020/04/30/economy/unemployment-benefits-coronavirus/index.html. Accessed 5 May 2020.

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