A Self-Reflection in Self-Quarantine

COVID-19, or the coronavirus, has changed the world in unprecedented ways. As worldwide cases spike to 400,000 and the death toll rises to 17,000, many countries have implemented social isolation and self-quarantine as a way of containing the spread. 

The United States is one of those countries. With 46,000 cases and almost 600 deaths, schools, businesses, and restaurants across the country have closed. But how has the coronavirus specifically affected students, especially those in high school?

Most of them, including me, would say it has had an overwhelmingly negative impact on their lives. At first, I thought the two-week self-quarantine would be just that–only two weeks. However, the situation quickly escalated and it’s clear that we won’t be going back to school next week, or possibly even in April.

Not only was my spring break trip to Europe cancelled, but so was my SAT, Salsthon, and possibly even Junior Prom. However, I always try to remember that other people are truly suffering because of the Coronavirus, and that the world doesn’t revolve around me and my “first-world” problems.

Despite this, staying at home for almost two weeks has been interesting. As a person who likes to go out, who enjoys the small daily tasks of going to the mall or driving to eat out, it’s been boring. It’s hard to wake up for school at 9:15 when it’s felt like spring break since we left school. It’s hard to stay on top of my school work without the structure of school and the physical presence of a teacher. It’s hard, especially, to not see my friends and classmates everyday. It’s strange not going to work and seeing the students I tutor.

I usually wake up a little before I have to check-in to homeroom. Since this is a relatively late time to wake up, I usually don’t have time to eat breakfast until after my last class. I “go” to my classes, attempt to do most of my work, and spend the rest of the day trying to find something interesting to do.

This ranges from snapchatting or texting my friends, creative writing, watching YouTube videos, or rarely, watching Netflix or Hulu. Binge-watching episodes is difficult since I’m not really a binge-watcher and I get bored easily.

One thing I do appreciate is having my sisters around. Even if they’re annoying sometimes, they have made quarantine more interesting than if I was an only child. Sometimes we walk to the park together and play Xbox games.

I have many hopes for the coming weeks. I hope to find something long-term and interesting to do everyday, like a craft or a morning run. I hope that I have more luck adjusting to self-quarantine and being around my family almost 24/7. And finally, I hope that the Coronavirus pandemic ends soon and that everyone who has been affected will find comfort, peace, and love.