The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest event that’s happened to our world in a long time. The number of positive diagnoses and deaths has been increasing rapidly every day. There are lockdowns occurring in countries all over the world. The U.S. has been advised to practice social distancing. Many employees are working from home or not working at all right now because non-essential businesses have closed. Some of our mothers and fathers are still going to work. Colleges/Universities and all businesses that aren’t considered essential have closed in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19. People are going through a rough time dealing with symptoms at home and in hospitals. So much is going on and so much is changing every day.

My mother walks through the front door with gloves on and a disinfectant spray in her hand. She greets me from a distance. She does not come near me to give me a kiss or a hug. It is so crazy because I always love getting hugs from my mom. I also know that she is having long crazy days and my hugs are usually comforting to her. It sucks, but I keep my distance. I hate that I can’t get really close to my mother, but it’s for our safety – I understand completely. My dad has stopped working and it’s good to have him home, as he is in his late 50s and is at higher risk.

My mother is an assistant coordinating manager at a hospital and her job consists of coordinating doctors’ and patients’ schedules as well as assigning them to clinics. She handles many calls daily from patients requesting medications and to see their doctors. The calls have increased since the COVID-19 outbreak. There are calls from patients fearing they may have COVID-19 symptoms and seek medication. My mother does her best when answering calls and trying to find solutions for them. At this point, everyone is desperate and calls any number to find answers. There are messages left on her answering machine from concerned family members looking for their loved ones who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. When she tells me these stories, I feel scared. This is real and things are not looking too good now.

When my parents come home, we turn on the news and wait for the updates. The nurses and doctors have been working crazy every day helping COVID-19 patients. I don’t know what goes on inside the emergency rooms, but I have a feeling that it isn’t good. Watching the news and learning about all that’s going on with each new day has been scary.

Yeah, it may suck to stay inside, however, it is necessary so that you and other people don’t get infected. I am at home doing homework most of the time because professors have been assigning a lot of work to do. I do some workouts and watch Netflix. It sometimes gets boring and tiring to repeat the same thing, but it is what it is.

COVID-19 is not a joke. We have to take it seriously and stay inside. Many people are at home but there are people who still go out. We should only go out if it is necessary – like going to the pharmacy or to the supermarket. The other things can wait. I definitely know everyone is looking forward to the summer. So, please listen and stay inside. Our health is important and comes first, so we must take proper precautions if we want our lives to return to normal.

We can get through this quarantine. It may take some time but we can do it. Everyone should continue to wear gloves and masks to protect themselves and others if they go out for groceries.

Remember to always wash your hands thoroughly.

Stay safe!