By Animesh Joshi, Connor Liu, and Ondrea Li IntroductionHi everyone! We hope you are all doing well and remain safe. For week two, we’ve decided to focus on a very important issue--social distancing. Through this post, we’re going to be outlining some of our feelings and experiences with the phenomenon. And, above all else, make sure you’re following CDC guidelines and practicing social distancing. It isn’t just about us, it’s about everyone around us. Enjoy! OndreaIts week 2 of #socialdistancing. This means that I still can’t see my friends or go to public places that would potentially be “too crowded,” Social distancing has without a doubt changed people’s lives. With the growing fear and paranoia of catching the virus, hygiene has certainly heightened in my family. For example, my family would prefer not to do grocery shopping but instead do online shopping pick-ups at stores. While it is important for everyone to practice social distancing, staying connected or reaching out to friends during this time is vital as well. Instead of meeting friends face to face, most people have transitioned to using software and apps like Zoom or House Party to stay connected with their friends. Social media also feels more active now, especially since people have the time to post more things. Another thing that is overlooked by so many people is staying fit. While staying indoors may be helpful in maintaining distance with other people, it is not an excuse to stay physically inactive. With the extra time that I have, my sister and I go running in the early mornings when most people are asleep. Despite all the things that I do to stay occupied, I am still engulfed in boredom. Therefore, I decided to pick up several new things to learn and do such as baking. In the last week, I learned how to make a super unhealthy but delicious snack called, “curry puffs,” and I also learned how to make a trending coffee called, “Whipped Dalgona Coffee.” With that, it led me to do something that I would have never thought that I would never do--download TikTok. And the next moment I knew, I was making TikTok food videos. AnimeshHi again. It’s week two. Life is still pretty boring, but I’m making do with what I have. Social distancing has not been the most fun experience in the world. I miss seeing my friends, teachers, and others. I also just miss going out to places, not needing to maintain a 6 foot distance when interacting with my neighbors, and, as previously discussed, attending school. That being said, social media is right--we need to practice social distancing. Just a little bit of reading reveals this to be pretty obviously true. Since COVID-19 spreads so rapidly from person to person, and we can’t always see symptoms for around 14 days, minimizing contact with other people lessens the chance of more infections. Even though it seems like it’s not deadly for us, the amount of people it can spread to--esepcially older populations--makes isolation, quarantine, and “social distancing” super important. It’s scary to see how many people aren’t abiding by these rules. But still, scientists have recommended social distancing to “flatten the curve.” Flattening the curve entails reducing the exponential rate of increase in infections so that there are less deaths and we don’t overwork hospitals. Research indicates that COVID-19 spreads rapidly across populations through personal interactions and air particles. Here’s an example. A person with COVID-19 sneezes into their hand. They meet you for a business meeting and shake hands. Later, you put that same hand onto food you’re going to eat--without washing or disinfecting. It’s possible you’ve now become infected. As we can see, the nature of getting infected is super hard to avoid when we’re all out and about. Don’t go outside to hang with your friends--it’s unsafe not only for you and those around you but, also, anyone you interact with. It may not be ideal, but for everyone’s sake, we need to practice social distancing. ConnorSimilar to many families, COVID-19 has seriously altered my Spring Break plans. With the United States likely becoming the new epicenter for the virus, traveling in any sense just seems far too dangerous for all parties involved. We’re now seeing the full effects of COVID-19 in New York. As a result, my family sees no other choice than to practice social distancing, bunker down for the coming weeks, and definitely not travel. We cancelled our family vacation to Arizona, a ski trip to the Rockies, and will likely also need to cancel our summertime trip to the East Coast. It’s all up in the air right now with things only getting worse. Who knows how long social distancing will need to take place, especially when so many people seem indignant in defying WHO recommended guidelines. It really irritates me to see those infamous pictures of packed Miami shorelines or normally operating night clubs. It seems impossible, but thousands (even millions) of Americans are selfishly blind to a growing pandemic—as if they were somehow immune to its viral effects. While COVID-19 mostly affects the older generation, those with pre-existing upper-respiratory infections, and employees who’s pay has since been reduced or cut altogether, the truth is COVID-19 affects us all and our very way of life. We’re now seeing the consequences of millions not engaging in social distancing and continuing their Spring Break plans. While a single decision to go to the Bahamas might not have contributed to its spread, the nature of the virus means we never really know. Moreover, it’s the cumulation of these individual decisions that’s problematic--it’s no surprise Florida has become one of the fastest growing hotspots for COVID-19. Social distancing works. I know it might be painfully boring, but if we want to flatten the curve and our lives to return to normal, we really have no other choice.
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Year ARchive
February 2023
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