Winter has set in, meaning temperatures have dropped. It is time to get out the oversized furry coat, hat with the fluffy ball on top, mittens, and scarves, but please do not forget your mask this winter.

A dark winter has set in, and as the days go by, the glooming cloud of reality only enlarges with each death and case related to Covid-19.

Summer was filled with parties, dining outdoors, and behavior that should not have been allowed. We thought Covid was gone and a thing of the past that wouldn’t strike back, but it did, and it did hard. Since the last days of warmth, the rapid incline of this disease only continues to grow worse. With a new strand of the virus lurking and infecting as well, hope seems grim.

Is the world handling this correctly, and is there more we can do? Questions we all probably ponder over as we watch the numbers rise. How can we stop this disease before too many more innocent lives are taken too soon? That is the question that should overpower every other question being asked.
The virus, which we now know is airborne and extremely contagious, continues to spread viciously. Many do not believe in the virus or think it is as bad as the media is saying it is. False information is being passed along every single day and is being passed around as the truth. The 45th president of the United States refuses to require people to social distance themselves and wear masks. His message has reached the ears of millions, and they believe it, which means rallies without mask-wearers and the constant cycle of a host passing the virus to others, who then pass it to others. The process does not stop.

“I believe there was such a huge spike is because no one is taking the virus seriously. Instead of reading about it through real primary sources, people are following conspiracy theories and political and social media influencers. Their responses to the virus contribute to how rapidly it is spreading. I believe what’s being reported is true because I’ve seen how horrific this virus can be. To me, it’s interesting how the majority of the radicals are protesting about how the virus isn’t real, that Trump says it’s not that big of a deal, and that wearing a mask is “”against their rights.” While black Americans are following behind what social media influencers plus music artists are doing. Both are taking precautionary advice from non-medical officials or from those who have no medical background,” said Yoko Meca, a student.

This virus is not black vs. white; it is a world issue that is still affecting millions of different people from different backgrounds. It was interesting that Meca brought up social media influencers, as many do not realize how vital the platforms of those select groups are. People will fight to see their favorite artists perform and pass out at a concert, so it is not surprising that they will also follow behind their advice during a pandemic.
Americans and our leaders have had many opportunities to show how selfish we can be when it comes to thinking about anything outside of preserving the flag and original racist tendencies. It is unfortunate and was not seen by many before this pandemic began, and millions refused to wear masks and stay in their homes. Some attempted to stop nurses and doctors from getting to work so that they could save lives, while others just refused to cooperate with signs put in place to save lives.
“As Americans, we have a hard time understanding tolerance and being selfless. If we all took the initiative to wear masks at least (if u choose not to be vaccinated). We could save so many lives! And get back to some normalcy. The government is chaotic. It’s being led by someone who doesn’t even want to acknowledge that we are indeed in a pandemic. Plus, there is racial turmoil, which is contributing to how things are going. There are so many unsolved problems with not enough people trying to fix them. Our initial response to the virus was delayed and irresponsible. That has now affected how the vaccine is delivered; we can do so much more! Why don’t we have a 24-hour vaccination station like in Israel? We are one of the wealthiest countries, yet families are barely making it, while the government assumes $600 is enough for a family. Especially for a POC or ethnic families who traditionally have multiple generations in one household? It’s disgusting how inefficient we are at tackling the hardship we are under. We need better and serious leadership,” stated Meca.

Our government can be doing so much more to help its people. That is the truth of the matter. We do not have to suffer and lose more people, but our current leaders have chosen ignorance and turned a blind eye to the simple fact that their people are suffering terribly. People have lost their homes and have to do anything to make ends meet so that their children can have a meal for the night. The spike will only continue to rise as Americans live selfishly and fail to put in the effort to educate themselves and stop the rise. Some believe the numbers are falsified, and the government is lying to us, but for what reason? Why lie about a virus causing deaths? Families have had to bury children, and children have had to bury parents. Funerals are being held in parking lots, and morgue space is running out. The virus is very much here, real, and will not be going anywhere until we decide that we want it to. The weather outside is perfect for it to spread, just like it would be perfect for the traditional flu. When you do not wear a mask, you say others’ lives do not matter to you, and you quickly become part of the problem. Let’s agree with one thing that doesn’t have to do with race, and that’s beating this virus so we can go back to our lives.