The Start of the Pandemic
When the coronavirus was first introduced to the world, I did not take it seriously. It wasn’t happening near me, so it wasn’t a major concern of mine. And I wasn’t the only one that treated it like that. As much as I hate to say it, we as humans are often very selfish. It takes things to directly affect us, for us to pay attention and take it seriously.
For weeks, the coronavirus was shoved to the side as ‘China’s problem’. That was until we got our first case in the United States. Even so, the coronavirus was said to be just like any other flu if not less harmful. THEY SAID THE SWINE FLU WAS WORSE. I was about nine years old during the swine flu era and I recall elementary students wearing masks to school.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus is nothing like swine flu. We were prepared for the swine flu because we had tons of research and a good understanding of the damage it could do. No one expected the affect coronavirus has had on the world so far and this lack of knowledge is making everyone go crazy.
Where Things Start to get Difficult
From Pattee & Paterno to the dining room table, I just need a quiet space to do my classwork.
Now this pandemic hasn’t been easy on anyone. My heart goes out to the seniors who won’t be able to walk across that stage to acknowledge all their hard work. And the first-year students who got their freshman experience cut short.
But now to make things about me, this pandemic/social distancing has been nothing but annoying. I live in northeastern Pennsylvania in the Pocono Mountains, aka THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. We are known for having the worst connection, unreliable data/Wi-Fi, and beautiful scenery. We have quite a few cases here, but it is not comparable to many of the larger towns and cities. For the most part, the townies are doing a good job of keeping their distance.
The coronavirus outbreak is mostly affecting my academic and professional life than it is my health. Before spring break, I was very uneasy when I heard the rumors of remote learning because I knew how unreliable my internet at home was. I had planned in advance to work at local coffeehouses until they all closed due to coronavirus. On my second day of remote learning, my WIFI shut out in the middle of my presentation! So, to prevent this from happening again, I have to buy my separate Wi-Fi that only my laptop is connected to (none of the companies giving free high-speed internet to students during this pandemic are in my area). Since then, my connection has been great, and I haven’t had many difficulties.
Adding to that, I am PANICKING about finding an internship. Because the world is just stopping in order to flatten the coronavirus curve, a lot of companies are taking preventative measures and canceling internship programs. While I am still applying to internships, both remote and physical, I do fear that that outbreak will not be under control by the time summer comes around.
Where This Leaves Me
Because I am so secluded from everyone, I am not at all worried about the virus getting to me as much as I am worried about its effect on the whole world. This pandemic has taught me how much a lack of information and poor communication can make the world stop. I feel as though if the severity of the virus been communicated with more information to the public, we could have done better preparing for it. I just hope we can get a better handle on it soon because most of my problems and fears come from fear of what the future holds. But for now, all we can do is take it one day at a time and hope for the best.
