The coronavirus pandemic, much like the Sonoma County fires, has shown our community members all of the beautiful things we took for granted. From dressing up and eating in a nice restaurant, to shopping at the mall, we have had our privileged activities taken away from us. When this is all over, we will happily indulge ourselves with the things that we once thought would always be available to us. We have had a bit of freedom taken away from us, but that in itself has taught us how privileged we were to have those things available to us in the way that they were before.
Before the pandemic started, I had an education plan that I planned on going through with in a timely manner, but the pressure of online schooling for classes that I was already anxious to take, is enough to set me back a few semesters until the in-person class setting I thrive so well in becomes available to me once again. I am not willing to take the chance of tarnishing my 4.0 GPA by taking an online biology class when I know I would understand the material better if it was presented to me in person. The coronavirus and it’s fallout has made me feel fearful for my family in South Korea and my elderly father at home. It also saddens me that nurses, under so much stress already, have to be quarantined away from their families and lack that support during this scary time.
As an essential worker (certified nurse assistant at a skilled nursing facility) the shelter-in-place is not as much of a burden to me as it may be for others, but I definitely miss having fun on my days off by taking trips and going to the movie theaters with all of my friends. Because of this pandemic, I have to take all of my residents’ temperatures and oxygen intake vitals as opposed to the usual 1-4 I would have had to take before. It is also mandatory for my co-workers and I to take our temperatures both before entering the facility we work at and after we take our lunch breaks. Thankfully, no one at my facility has tested positive for coronavirus, but it is mandatory for us to wear masks during our shifts and anyone with a temperature above 100°F is transferred into our new isolation room to be tested. The concern for the health of both the staff and the residents of our facility is at an all-time high.
I am coping with this pandemic by focusing on my schooling. When I get frustrated, I remember that during this tough time we are praising healthcare workers over football players, valuing our health and there is cleaner air and water due to less traffic and less business releasing toxins into the air.