My generation has never experienced a natural disaster or a war, I didn’t really care about it. But COVID-19 has cost us a lot—many lives, many freedoms, and many experiences—though there have also been benefits.
My goal in writing this essay now, following the global pandemic, is to share a personal account of my experiences during this historic occasion. Although I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed it, this has by far been the most significant event of my life to date. During my COVID19, I had to completely restructure my life, the way I work, and how I interact with others. Since everything was changing so quickly, all of my convictions began to wane. This is one of those occasions where there would be a before-and-after on the customs that our society as a whole shares.
There shouldn’t be anyone left who is unaware of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, as it is sometimes referred to. The coronavirus is a virus that originated in China and, by January 2020, had spread throughout the entire world. In the month of January of that year, the virus made its first appearance on news and media platforms.
The virus’s effects in the Chinese city of Wuhan received the majority of news coverage. I was getting ready to start learning more about COVID-19 at the time while also studying for my first year of PG. In the current state of affairs, there is a problem with “fake news,” which made me consider the influence of information on society. At that point, I have no idea what the future will bring, but I am confident that whatever it is, I will fight for it and cherish every second of it.
Last year, if you had asked me, I would have told you how terrified I was of getting COVID-19. By sharing my experience, I hope to allay your concerns about the virus. Although my COVID-19 experience was frightening, it was nothing compared to the current experience that I had built up. To begin with, it was toward the end of January 2020 that I first learned about the COVID-19 virus. Because my generation has never experienced a natural disaster or a war, I didn’t really care about it. But COVID-19 has cost us a lot—many lives, many freedoms, and many experiences—though there have also been benefits. I don’t think those incidents can be compared to the COVID-19 pandemic’s global consequences.
I have a strong belief that the human spirit is capable of bringing about positive change, so I am confident that we will prevail. First off, in my opinion, situations like the one we’re in can bring out the best and worst in people’s interactions. The pandemic is currently somewhat under control, and the virus’s spread has slowed down. I’ve successfully adapted to our new way of life, as we now live within the new norm. The way we used to see things has changed. Every person in our society has now grown accustomed to the concept of “social distance.” Sincerity dictates that I believe I would be fine if some of the social distance rules were maintained. Although I recognise that everyone wants things to return to normal, I’m willing to give up some of our liberties in order to fight COVID-19 and advance society.
I’ve learned from this entire experience that humans have a tendency to take things for granted and don’t value what they have until it is taken from them. Perhaps the world required a break to remember how to value what it possessed but had forgotten to experience. Life is meant to be experienced, not used as a hobby for peering in on and judging others. So a demand for change in our attitude will invariably change our surroundings.
Composed by: “Dr. Sahya S Dev has passed MBBS with an MD in community medicine and has interest in academic, Research and Development, Health Administration.”
