My Experience Living Through the COVID-19 Crisis

By Dylan Grisafe

 During this unprecedented pandemic, there has been a lot of uncertainty, not just in the U.S. but all around the world. For starters, doctors and health officials around the world still don’t know for sure how this virus started, and labs are still racing against time to create a vaccine. There are no real facts to know how we should be reacting to and treating this virus. The virus has caused a major disruption in every person’s daily life. No one knows for certain when life will be able to go back to normal; it could be weeks, months, or even a year.

There are new laws and standards that states are issuing, such as people are not allowed in public stores without a face mask, and not allowing large groups in public places, etc. Governor Cuomo stated, “Another part of getting to the new normal is continuing to stop the spread of the virus, and to do that I am issuing an Executive Order that says all people in public must wear a mask or face covering.”

An ongoing study at the University of Southern California published its first round of results in March. They reported that the coronavirus already created significant shifts in people’s behavior. It was reported that eighty-five percent of people are washing their hands more often than they used to; along with this twenty-two percent reported they are stockpiling essentials like food or water. This study is proof that everyone’s daily lives are changing and that this type of behavior might be the new normal for many months to come. A lot of this uncertainty and chaos has come from hundreds of false media stories that have been pumped out over the last several months. Fake media stories create fear in people who are at home watching, creating more worries than are needed.

The northeast area of the United States was affected the most so far during this pandemic; New York having 321,192 cases as of May 5; New Jersey with 131,890 cases, and Massachusetts at 70,271 cases. New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts were the top three states affected in the country. As of Saturday, May 2, Bergen County, New Jersey had a total of over 16,000 positive cases of coronavirus.

The first reported case of COVID-19 in the United States was on January 21, 2020. The virus was not taken as seriously then as it is now. Around March 15 is when lockdowns began to be put in place across the country, along with curfews being implemented and social distancing. Groups over 10 people were prohibited, according to President Trump’s orders. By March 26, 2020, the United States had surpassed the number of Coronavirus cases in any other country.

When the virus hit New Jersey, and a curfew from 8 PM until 5 AM was set in place by Governor Phil Murphy, my family decided it was time to take precautions in our daily life. Both of my parents started working from home; and my classes were now being held online. This new way of living took a toll on everyone; we now could only leave the house for something essential. Our essential trips consisted of trips to the grocery store and doctor visits. My family and I were constantly on high-alert when it came to keeping this virus away from our home. We kept up with sanitizing our home and wearing personal protective equipment when leaving the house.

After about a month, my parents permitted me to see family who had also been self-quarantining. My cousin only lives in the town over, and we were able to go on walks at a nearby track. It became part of a daily routine and something we looked forward to each day. We would spend a few hours each evening working out and walking laps, to be able to escape our homes. But not too long after we began doing this each day, it quickly became another repetitive part of our daily routine. Our phones and television series we used to enjoy grew to become less interesting. We would try to come up with new things to try and occupy our time. Most of our nights became taken up by playing XBox video games.

It didn’t take much time before my motivation began to decline. It became difficult to wake up and attend online school, even though it was from the comfort of my own room. All the days were passing by and all felt the exact same, as time had no meaning anymore. The stereotypical excitement on a Friday night out with friends or joy that it was the weekend no longer existed. The only source of communication that now existed between my peers and I were through our phones. Zoom became popular for many colleges and schools, but it also grew a new name in social life.

There were a few benefits I have had throughout this experience. For example, family time has become a large part of my daily life. There are family dinners every night, and game nights that we all look forward to. I have also been more aware of my surroundings. I am more cautious about everything I do such as trying to keep myself as far away from any germs as possible. I have realized some of the small things in life that I had taken for granted before social distancing began. I never knew how much it would mean to take a simple trip to the mall, or even to see my best friend for a day.

I would do anything to go back to normal life before the pandemic. The number of new cases continues to drop every day and it is exciting to hear that we are on the road to recovery. As school comes to an end, it will be difficult to occupy myself for the time being until things are normal again. It all takes patience until summer can truly begin, and happier days will come about.