How has coronavirus affected your personal life?

Covid -19 has affected my life by keeping family and friends distant. One way my life has been impacted is not being able to see family members as much as I would like to. For example, older family members, including my grandparents, would have to be very cautious around too many people or going places. The Covid -19 disease attacks an elderly person or even a baby’s immune system faster because their lungs are much more vulnerable than others, which means they can catch the disease easier. Another way Covid -19 has affected my life is public transportation. I used to take the bus to school, but now I’m worried if I get on the bus, I might be at risk because a bus is used by the majority of the public.

Is there anything you would have done differently if you knew a pandemic was about to happen?    

If I knew there was going to be a pandemic, I would have prepared more financially. In the process, saving up money would have helped more with stockpiling masks,  sanitizers, rubbing alcohol, Lysol, cleaning disinfecting wipes and toilet paper. Also groceries such as canned foods, vegetables, fruits, and lots of meats. Another thing I would have done differently is distance myself from being around large crowds of people and places that are available to the public like bathrooms, libraries, bus/train stations, fast food places, etc. The last and final thing I would have done differently is taking Covid-19 tests regularly and practicing my social distancing everywhere I go.

Did the pandemic put you in financial trouble? 

Yes, the pandemic has put me in some financial troubles, I lost my job because the stores got closed down which put me in debt with all my bills. Also another new expense is buying masks almost every day, getting more food than usual because being in quarantine all day around means everyone is eating more, using data and Internet more, using more light and gas causing the bills to rise. That’s when the final notices start piling in, tension gets high, bills to be paid, no income, putting all the pressures on my shoulders and on top of that peoples have to look for a new jobs that is actually hiring people which has been very hard because no one wants to hire due to Covid.

How has Covid-19 affected your education?

Covid-19 has affected my education drastically at first, the most important one is virtual learning. It’s a totally different experience learning on a computer than in person. Personally, I just got into the hang of virtual learning, I’m just getting comfortable and that’s when they announce they are switching back to in person. It took me three months to get used to virtual learning, now imagine how the change will be back to in-person learning  especially in the middle of this pandemic. In my opinion, the school board should pass every kid who at least tried to do their work. 

How do you feel about social distancing?

I feel social distancing is good because you don’t want to catch Covid-19 and it prevents some type of personal contact. I also feel as if social distancing is tough on a lot of people, not only myself because nobody is allowed to be within 6 feet apart from each other, making it harder to communicate with people. Another way social distancing is tough on a lot of people who are about to be parents for the first don’t get to have that extra support and company during appointments. I feel that all this social distancing is taking a big toll on people who have  jobs, and also people’s personal life situations.

Are you as social as you were before the pandemic?

The easy answer for that question is no. I am mostly in my house: better safe than sorrow most say.  I don’t go out to eat at any more: no restaurants, no fast food places.  I don’t eat any other food unless it is prepared by me in my kitchen with vegetables I washed, fruits I freshly picked and meat I season. I like to keep all my meals homemade due to this pandemic. I can’t imagine eating food you don’t know what kitchen it was cooked in or whether or not the chef washed his/her hands or if their cleaning and cooking supplies are clean or not .