STUDENT A
MY COVID EXPERIENCE: Life, for me during COVID-19 has changed drastically in comparison to before. Staying at home and trying to keep me busy has really been what my life has become during the pandemic. Since Ontario has some of the strictest lockdown restrictions in the world, I have not traveled, worked out, or really done much outside, aside from playing some outdoor sports since the pandemic began. My life has fully transitioned online from technology for reasons out of my control. With university education being online since the beginning and public spaces being shut down it has been extremely difficult to do anything without technology. I have just been doing my part to keep everyone safe by sitting in my house!
|
OBJECT IMAGE Beni, my pandemic puppy. |
OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND RELATIONSHIP TO COVID-19: : A little under a year into the pandemic we lost of family dog of 13-years and my best friend, Shaggy. We were truly devastated as a family and at this point, the pandemic was in full swing with stay-at-home orders and public lockdowns. It was a tough few days after months of negative experiences in my life both directly and indirectly because of COVID. I chose to include Beni in the archive because he has been an important part of my life during the pandemic. His companionship and ability to keep me ridiculously busy kept my mind from thinking about all the negatives resulting from COVID around the world. Stay-at-home orders and public lockdowns with Beni have become more enjoyable and he always manages to make me feel joy despite the global tragedy of COVID. Many people picked up new hobbies or objects to help pass time and keep them sane during COVID, so mine was a pandemic puppy which has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.
|
|
PRIMARY SOURCE DESCRIPTION: The primary source chosen is an open letter to the Ontario government written by Canada’s top children’s hospitals in collaboration including the Canadian Paediatric Society, Paediatricians Alliance of Ontario, CHEO, SickKids, McMaster Children’s Hospital, among a few others. I chose to contribute this letter as my primary source because it captures the severity of the mental health crisis facing children and adolescents in Ontario as a result of COVID policies enacted by the Ontario government. The most restrictive public policy measures for children the government passed saw the closure of all schools, playgrounds, and any public outdoor recreational spaces. Doug Ford and the Ontario government played the narrative that these policy measures were in the best interest of the well-being of children and adolescents in Ontario from COVID. Evidently, the government measures were extremely harmful to youth mental health in Ontario. This letter should help future historians understand the sheer scope and scale of the restrictive public measures taken and how this negatively impacted youth in Ontario. |
PRIMARY SOURCE: |
|
NEWSPAPER HEADLINE |
PERSONAL REACTION TO THIS HEADLINE Canada’s elite children’s hospitals, including CHEO, are declaring a mental health emergency among children and youth as the COVID-19 pandemic wears on. School closures, the lack of access to sports and recreational programs, and social isolation have resulted in children being one of the hardest-hit populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates describe staggering numbers of increase to suicide attempts and substance-abuse disorder admissions. Suicide attempt admissions have increased by 100% on average during the pandemic. Admissions for substance abuse disorders have increased by 200%. It says that 70% of children ages 6 to 18 have said the pandemic has harmed their mental health. There has been a 61% increase in ER visits among children and youth for mental health conditions over the last decade, SickKids alone reports an additional 25% increase to this during the pandemic. The news article invokes some feeling of comfort knowing that there are doctors and other medical professionals advocating so hard for the wellbeing of children but also invokes a feeling of frustration and anger in knowing that the Ontario government will do little effective in response to address this crisis. Canada’s top children’s hospitals declared a #CodePink because kids are in a state of crisis and we are calling for emergency response. Their physical and mental health needs are escalating daily, and the impacts will be felt for years to come. This crisis is particularly impacting the most vulnerable, including First Nations, Metis, and Inuit children, Black and other racialized children, and children and youth with disabilities and complex medical needs. This news article should help future historians understand the impact of COVID-19 and the lockdowns restrictions on children and youth in Canada for reference. |
| VISUALIZING COVID-19 The cartoon illustration is an exaggerated satire by Theo Moudakis of the Toronto Star, that depicts people’s mental health deterioration throughout the pandemic. It is an important illustration because it captures a real and raw human experience during COVID in a cartoon form. This will help people in the future better understand the personal existential crises experienced because of the pandemic. |
COVID Q&A
Describe the moment you realized how serious COVID-19 was:
March 11, 2020, was the moment when I realized how serious COVID-19 was. This was also the day that the sports world began to shut down due to widely held concerns over the spread and safety of society in response to COVID-19. The NBA led the way in North America in shutting down facilities and the season to curb the spread of COVID and allow their members infected with the virus to recover. Other North American sports leagues, like across the world, began shutting down similarly. This was truly a moment where I realized how serious the COVID-19 pandemic was in seeing all these major international sports leagues closed their doors in response. Many left billions of dollars in revenue because of these decisions to close, but it just goes to show the severity of the pandemic when such large sporting enterprises are forced to shut down in response to health and safety reasons.
What did you learn about yourself or the people you live with during COVID-19?
One thing I learned to master about myself during the pandemic is a routine that will help keep me productive and busy during the day. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has forced me (like many others) to stay home, I have found personal solace in establishing a daily routine. Often this routine will include some form of physical activity, studying for school, or other unpredictable and spontaneous activities that arise during my day. In doing so, I have found that my daily production has increased while keeping my mind off all the negatives associated with the pandemic.
Other than wearing a mask, what was the biggest change you made to your daily life?
Aside from wearing a mask, the biggest change I made in my daily life is following social distancing protocols in enclosed public spaces. The 6-foot separation rule in public was a practice I never even thought about considering before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, this practice has become an important part of my daily life to help protect myself from potentially contracting the virus in public.
Do you think this change will remain when all lockdowns are lifted?
I do believe that this change will remain a part of my life to some degree when all lockdowns are lifted. Social distancing seems like such a simple social practice, yet it has been surprisingly effective in protecting individuals from the spread of COVID in closed spaces. Moreover, I have enjoyed the personal space in public spaces where that usually would not be given willingly by strangers. That being said, I would say based on the simple efficiency and enjoyable extra personal space in public will encourage me to remain with this change.
Have you learned any new skills during the pandemic?
I took up golf as a hobby at the beginning of the pandemic. For the most part, early on, we were forced to stay-at-home but some outdoor recreational places remained open for business including golf ranges and courses. It started with just a putter and a couple of wedges in my backyard practice swinging and slowly resulted in me getting a full golf bag set and taking up the sport. In the process, I learned a lot about the game of golf and how to play it (even though I definitely need to keep practicing), which helped me find solace during the difficult times of COVID in Ontario all while picking up a new skill.
How do you feel about university education in the last year?
I feel that university education in the last year was dependent on what the individual made of it. This may seem like an easy answer but in its truest sense, the universities and professors made every effort to maintain the standard of quality in the education they provide. I was very fortunate to have not had the same problems as many other university students whether it be with work, housing, or illness’ in my family so I was able to focus much more on my education with my extra time. In many situations, students had financial struggles with paying rent and tuition during a time when businesses were closing or laying off their employees due to the pandemic. The most significant difference in university education in the last year must be the lack of access to campus facilities since they have been totally closed for the most part. I wish the universities did a better job of adjusting tuition costs for students considering we were not using any of the campus facilities for the majority of the previous 18-months. It has been really sad to see the additional financial burdens put on students during the pandemic which has inevitably impacted their ability to access adequate university education, like before the pandemic.
List one positive thing and one negative thing you'll take away from 2020:
One thing I will take away from 2020 is my family’s good health throughout the pandemic. It is undeniable that the high mortality rate and infectious spread associated with COVID directly impacted so many people in tragic ways. I am very lucky and fortunate to say that all my immediate family remained in good health and will be one positive I take away from 2020 for sure.
One negative thing I will remember about 2020 is the social protests that arose throughout the pandemic in Canada. Whether they were in support of BLM, First Nations, or the Muslim community in the wake of hate crimes during the pandemic it was powerful to see the size and support for our marginalized communities.
What is the best movie or TV show you've watched, or the best book you've read, in the past 18 months?
The two best books I have read in the past 18-months would be Permanent Record by Edward Snowden and The New Confessions of an Economic Hitman by Tom Burgis.
The best movie I watched would have to be the Harry Potter series. Crazy, I know but growing up I never read the books or watched the movies in theaters, so when the pandemic broke out and we were all forced to stay home I had all the time to finally binge-watch them all.
How large of an impact do you think COVID-19 has had on your mental health?
N/A
How has technology impacted your life during lockdown?
Technology has become an essential part of my life during the lockdown. Since universities transitioned to online distant education at the beginning of the pandemic, I have been spending a minimum of 8-9 hours on technology screens whether it be a smartphone, iPad, or laptop. Even when it is not school-related, technology has also become my fastest and most reliable source for information during the pandemic since I cannot simply go to a library or bookstore to research books or other literature. In this sense, the impact has been massive to the point where I cannot imagine my life without technology in it, and scary how dependent I have become reliant on it.
How has the pandemic brought wider acknowledgment to systemic racism in Canada?
Since the governments of Canada and Ontario respectively have become so involved in the daily lives of Canadian citizens, it is natural that many more people are focusing more on their decisions and educating themselves on the topics of public concerns. This has resulted in many Canadians learning about the inequalities between elite bureaucrats in government and regular citizens. Gaps inequality have been expanded and subsequently, more government corruption is being exposed to public scrutiny. The COVID pandemic has revealed great hypocrisies within Canadian governments through their public mannerisms, behavior, and blatant disregard for public protocols. The abundance of extra time for many Canadians helped provide them with an opportunity to educate themselves more on Canadian history and our government's past treatment of marginalized communities across Canada. In light of the George Floyd murder in the US, many Canadians have reflected on our own society and its downfalls with First Nations communities across Canada. The pandemic in this sense has provided many Canadians with an opportunity to learn about our past and learn from mistakes made to create a better future after COVID.
In what ways do you envision society changing due to the pandemic?
I envision a lot more resistance and noncompliance from the public against government policies that are unconstitutional or perceived to be infringing on citizen rights. Although many Canadians have been complacent to government restrictions with relatively small resistance, I feel as though this will change in the future should any other pandemics arise.
I also envision a lot more evidence of Canadian government corruption in hiding the truths about their genocide against First Nations children across Canada. People will continue to demand increased government transparency and accountability for Canada's history, and I hope that it happens sooner rather than later.
Now that you are done with both the course and your additions to the archive, is there anything you'd like to reflect on?
Talking and conversing about the COVID-19 pandemic has been surprisingly therapeutic during these difficult times. I most enjoyed learning about past pandemics around the world and the diverse ways certain cultures understood and reacted to global pandemics similar to COVID-19. It was great to have guest lecturers provide specific presentations on certain pandemics in different regions of the world. The lecture response to public health and vaccine research institutions in Turkey and the former Ottoman Empire opened my eyes to a whole new culture and understanding of medicine that I previously did not know. This helped me open more of my knowledge outside of traditional Western teachings, which I will value moving forward.