Hello folks. This is not what I thought I’d be writing about during this microbiology class, our very own pandemic. We learn about viruses in class and I know there is a lot of mutations and new viruses that occur but there has been nothing in a very long time that has affected people on a global level like Covid-19. School has been made to be online, trips are cancelled, internship and study abroad programs have been cancelled, and we are social distancing. People are stocking up on all their supplies, including toilet paper, which has run out in many stores. We are living in a history textbook right now and will be able to tell our children and grandchildren about what living during a pandemic is like. It is scary, ambiguous, and honestly, a little boring.
When the coronavirus first was getting on the news it was a very big deal in China and a few other Asian countries. I did not worry about it too much and just hoped the situation would get better over there. After only a couple of weeks, it was in Europe and the United States and was beginning to worry Americans a little bit, but I still wasn’t too concerned, I didn’t think that our schedules would be affected too much. Then, the number of cases started to rise in the US and colleges, including UNC, switched to online school as social distancing rules were put in place. All of a sudden my study abroad program for the summer was cancelled and so was my internship to Guatemala. I am still devastated by it. I’ve worked really hard to get the internship and was so excited for it and my study abroad program, I was hoping to come back at the end of summer with so much cultural immersion, health knowledge (both study abroad and internship were related to health), and improvement in my Spanish. I enjoy being in Chapel Hill too, seeing my friends and people in my clubs, and being able to do the activities I love like volunteering at the hospital. It just turned my whole academic and professional world upside down and I am still trying to figure out how to cope.
Although I am sad that I am missing out on the stuff I have done and have planned for, I know that everyone else is in the same boat and I hope it will somehow workout for all of us in the end. The health of our loved ones and neighbors is more important than anything. I am washing my hands, social distancing, and following all the precautions that the CDC and WHO have sent out. But it is very difficult because staying in your house can be so boring! I love my family but it is really hard not to be able to hang out with my friends. Usually when I am home I go out to lunch or coffee with them, we go on hikes, or we just hang at each others’ houses. Not being able to do any of this honestly sucks, especially when we don’t know when we will be able to again. I think the uncertainty of this whole situation is the worst part. The uncertainty of when all of this will end, the uncertainty of how your day will go, the uncertainty of who will be affected by the virus. I’m glad that I am able to have a supporting household who can provide for me during this time but it makes me so sad to know that many people do not have this, especially because many jobs are being lost right now.
This whole pandemic has turned the world on its head. Although it is a difficult situation for everyone in many different ways, by being alone in our houses, we are actually all working together to help stop the spread of the disease. This sense of community is what keeps me and many others going through this dark time in history and helps bring light to it.
I know this was a very somber post, especially compared to all my previous ones, but although it is a challenging time, we still need to laugh and enjoy life! So here are a few memes to help cheer everyone up!
Microbiology 