Items

• 2021-01-25

  COVID-19 Statistics

  The Coronavirus has spread across the entire world within less than a year. It began in Wuhan, China and is now found in every city and country on the planet. Currently, there are about 100 million cases and 2 million deaths worldwide. In the U.S, there are 25 million cases and 420k deaths. In California, where I am located, there are 3.2 million cases and 37k deaths. Fortunately, out of the worldwide stats, there are 55 million recovered cases which is about 55% of current infections. Due to the innovative technology we have today, it is much easier to recover and stay safe from viruses and diseases. Los Angeles County has the most cases and deaths in the U.S with 1 million cases and 15k deaths. I am lucky enough to say that I do not personally know anyone who has died from COVID. Myself, my friends, and family members haven't tested positive, either. We've stayed safe and hopefully will continue to stay Coronavirus-free.
• 2021-01-21

  Coronavirus in My Community

  Fortunately, not very many people I know have gotten COVID-19. Maybe two or three people I know, at most, have tested positive since quarantine started. For my mom's birthday in the beginning of January, my parents decided to do a wine tasting event at our house. There was a moderate amount of people there, about twenty I'd say. My friend's parents were there and had just gotten back from visiting family in Ohio. My parents were sure to warn everyone invited that they may have been in contact with the virus during their traveling, but had not tested positive, yet. Unfortunately, a couple days after the party, almost their whole family had tested positive for COVID-19. Everyone that attended the party was on the lookout for potential symptoms afterward, as they have been in contact with the couple who tested positive. This couple had very minor symptoms and never felt severely unwell during the infection. Most people my family, friends, or family friends know that have gotten COVID have never experienced severe symptoms, but it's possible for them to become severe. Symptoms can consist of a fever or chills, coughing, shortness of breath/trouble breathing, fatigue, body aches, loss of taste/smell, sore throat, sinus congestion, nausea or vomiting, and/or diarrhea. I am thankful that my family and I have never gotten COVID and few people we know have.
• 2021-01-19

  Coronavirus Rules & Procedures

  Once quarantine began, rules and procedures were rather lightly enforced. Masks were worn here and there and social distancing was overrated. Not many people chose to wear masks as they were not required yet. Everyone was aware of COVID lurking around the country, but not many were concerned until cases began rising in local counties. As this happened, many stores and businesses started requiring masks, social distancing, etc. I wasn't a fan of it at all, like most, but I began appreciating it for safety as months past. Thankfully, there has only been a couple people I know that have tested positive. Fortunately, there also has not been any bad encounters with following rules and procedures in public. I am currently so fed up with all these overwhelming, complex rules and quarantining, but I understand they are enforced for health and safety reasons.
• 2021-01-14

  Remote Learning in Quarantine

  When remote learning started due to COVID-19 and having to quarantine, I didn't think much of it. I figured we'd be back in school within months and it wouldn't be very different online. . . little did I know how much I was missing. Now that I am back in school after winter break, I'm realizing what it's like at school with friends and being able to see people. Materials aren't easily accessible, internet connections can be unstable, and there are a lot more distractions at home than at school in-person, but there are benefits, as well. I can work on my own time at my own pace, I am more organized as I am at home, I don't have to get ready before school, allowing me to sleep in, and I can eat whenever I'm hungry. There's a slight luxury with remote learning, but it doesn't compare to being at school in-person.
• 2021-01-11

  Origins of COVID-19

  January of 2020 is when I started learning about COVID-19 and its origins. I first heard about the Coronavirus from my parents and news channels which stated there is a new virus around foreign countries that is spreading quickly and cannot be identified with any existing sicknesses. Rumors became of a bat that was carrying the virus and either had been consumed by humans or had transmitted the virus to man. The virus originated in Wuhan, China, but was also existing in Europe and the rest of Asia, at the time. I personally had no concern or worries with it when first hearing this news early on, but it was quite interesting hearing updates about it. My reasoning for this was it had not yet reached America or anywhere near the country. The thought of having to shut down stores, schools, restaurants, and cities did not even cross my mind because of the insanity that sounded of. Today, it seems completely normal hearing and thinking about quarantined, isolated societies because of how we've been living the past year. Speaking of today, I currently know a lot more about COVID. The symptoms, testing, origins, and biology of it are more clear now, a year after its discovery. I feel comfortable with the idea of the Coronavirus and am not scared of it. That opinion hasn't changed since the start of quarantine and COVID. There is still plenty more to learn about the Coronavirus, especially now that vaccines are out, but my adequate understanding of it and its origins is acceptable.
• 2021-01-06

  Christmas Quarantined

  In the year of the plague, Christmas celebrations were different. Less fun, less social, and less exciting. Every year for Christmas, my family and I usually eat dinner at Buca di Beppo with family and friends. Not only would we be unable to invite family and friends, we also were not able to eat at the restaurant because all restaurants had closed recently before the holidays. Fortunately, we ate a delicious Christmas dinner that my mom made for my family and I. My mom usually never makes Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner because of our usual annual traditions, but she got the opportunity to this year because of COVID. We were still able to see my uncle, aunt, and cousins for the holidays and play white elephant with family friends. Christmas Day was very similar to last year - opening presents, eating Christmas dinner, and spending time with family. Conclusively, Christmas celebrations were different, but it wasn't too bad after all, considering my family's Christmas traditions aren't all that festive anyways.
• 2020-12-10

  Life Before "Quarantine"

  In the months before most of the world shut down due to COVID-19, my life was social, fun, and happy. During January of 2020, I had recently gotten to lease a horse for Christmas. I was getting used to riding my horse and going to the barn daily while developing friendships through horseback riding. In February of 2020, I had made friends and bonded with my horse at the barn where I did not have to wear a mask or even be aware of cleanliness and sanitation. When March of 2020 came around, it became a task to be careful of who you’re around and where you go due to the cases developing in the United States. School went online around the middle of March, but my barn was still wide open and did not require masks, temperature-taking, or sanitation before entering. This made life feel normal despite not seeing school friends daily anymore. My barn closed to outsiders from April-May, but for only one month. I was able to see my friends, still without rules such as wearing masks, but only for a two-hour limit due to capacity limitations. From May-November, life was great. I saw my friends often, did well in online school, and maintained the barn as a big part of my life. Now, December of 2020, my barn requires masks, but they are not strict about it. I am still getting outside, staying active and healthy both physically and mentally, and keeping a social life. Although I am doing well in “quarantine,” I would much rather be at school in-person and be doing activities without safety precautions and limitations. Life is different, but I’ve developed entirely new perspectives and these new situations have helped me grow as a person.
• 2020-12-10

  Thanksgiving During COVID

  For Thanksgiving this year in 2020, my family stayed home and my mom made us Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. Restaurants had closed, preventing us from eating out on Thanksgiving like we’ve done every year previously as a tradition. For my mom’s first time cooking Thanksgiving dinner, we ate turkey, stuffing, biscuits and gravy, and miscellaneous vegetables which all tasted great. It was a new experience for us and it didn’t feel the same as going out to a restaurant with outside family or occasionally family friends. The day of Thanksgiving was a normal day except for not having school and my parents being home instead of at work which made nice family time. Thanksgiving at home was different, but still plenty enjoyable and delicious.