Larissa S
The COVID-19 pandemic altered every aspect of my life, but it was manageable. Fortunately, my family and friends all remained healthy. However, there were a few instances where a family member had direct contact with someone who was infected. Although the results ended up being fine, the anticipation was very stressful. During the pandemic, I followed the news considerably more than before. I gained a lot of knowledge about how COVID-19 spreads, proper sanitation, and scientific understanding about viruses. All of this information I will never forget and apply to my life in the future. It was saddening to constantly see on the news, cases rising, with no way for me to offer any support to those suffering. I was, however, able to help my friends who were emotional during the pandemic, by talking to them, sharing similar thoughts, and being optimistic about the future without COVID-19. All of the challenges associated with living through a pandemic gave me a new perspective, and I will not take for granted even the simple things in life.
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This is a picture of a used blue face mask littered in a creek that I found while on a walk one day in the springtime. There has been an increase in people spending time outside in parks, hiking trails, playgrounds, and beaches especially when restrictions were very tight. When I see these disposable masks littered, I think back to the early stages of the pandemic when they announced on the news the province was experiencing a shortage of masks and ventilators. During this shortage, frontline workers were washing and hanging to dry disposable facemasks to use them again. Many people in the world took their time to make homemade reusable facemasks for communities that are lacking them. It is disappointing to see people littering masks when frontline workers are in vital need of them. Littering of masks and gloves is also a serious health issue because they might be contaminated with the virus. COVID-19 can survive on plastic for a few days, therefore, people should discard their disposable masks properly. There are long-term effects with masks being littered, especially on beaches where animals might mistake the waste for food. When people are at parks and see face masks littered, they might be more willing to litter theirs. I included this picture to show the health, animal, and environmental risks of littering. It is also important to note that even though the focus has been on the pandemic and significant health issues that it caused, we cannot forget about the other world issues, such as saving the environment. |
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This is a picture of a vaccine clinic in a sports centre. I took this picture the day I received my first dose of the vaccine. There are numerous healthcare workers sitting in rows of tables where they administer the vaccine. In the far back of the picture, there is a waiting area to ensure no one has an allergic reaction, and if they did, paramedics would be able to assist. The organization and amount of people in the photo speak to the fact that the COVID-19 vaccine was very demanding. Typically, vaccines for the flu or other illnesses would be administrated in doctor's officers or pharmacies. The vaccine clinic was not in a standard setting so that they could have mass amounts of people come at the same time. The first dose of the vaccine is not fully effective, but the goal was to give one dose out to most of the population. For the vaccine clinics to run, volunteers were needed and many healthcare workers. Volunteers helped in making sure people were staying six feet away at all times and directing them through the centre. The centre had a variety of areas to go through such as checking in to make sure people are there for their scheduled time and make sure they do not have symptoms. I included this picture because it shows the only way we were able to lessen the symptoms of COVID-19 and its spread was through the vaccine. When the vaccines were approved and administered, I felt hopeful and confident knowing that frontline workers received them first followed by the eldery. |
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This headline is about how social media postings have played a role in spreading false information across Canada about COVID-19. These postings were deemphasizing how effective mask-wearing and social distancing were in the spread of the virus. There has always been a negative aspect to social media, but I was surprised to see it come through in a pandemic. Almost everyday on the news, infectious disease doctors inform the public on the proper measures to stop the spread. Whenever I am on social media, I see people posting opinionated comments about the topic and many making false assumptions. Although the vast majority pay attention to reliable sources, the people who do not will worsen the case numbers. I feel there is a spread of false information because people are spending much of their time at home on social media due to all the closures. It is unfortunate to see people writing inaccurate comments about the vaccine, especially since there are people hesitant about it from the beginning. This headline makes me feel worried about society and how false comments affect people's portrayal in professionals like politicians, doctors, and police officers who enforce rules. All in all, spreading misinformation is frustrating because it leads to poor choices and putting others at risk. |
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VISUALIZING COVID-19 This is an infographic that is located from Statistics Canada of a survey from March, 2020. The survey collected information from 4,600 youths across 10 different provinces in Canada. The first part of the study analyzed activities that youths engage in to improve their physcial and mental health. The most popular activity was communicating with friends and family. followed by exercising indoors and outdoors. The least popular activity from the five was meditation. The second part of the study looked at the concerns youths had regarding the impact of COVID-19. The majority of youths were concerned about the health of vulnerable people followed by overloading the health system.The least concerning for youths was their own health. |
COVID Q&A
Describe the moment you realized how serious COVID-19 was:
On Thursday, March 12, 2020, I had a dance showcase for a student-run club at the University of Guelph called College Royal. The showcase was the day after they announced we were in a global pandemic. I was the assistant director of the show and had many tasks to do. This event took place at the pub on campus, and many people gathered to watch. Prior to the show starting there was an announcement about how the government was closely monitoring the COVID-19 spread. There were also rumors spreading that there were two positive COVID-19 cases in my student apartment building. It was difficult to focus on my responsibilities in the show and my dance routines, with all this new information. Reflecting on this situation made me respect frontline workers much more than I did previously. I was not directly in contact with anyone with the virus, but still worried, whereas healthcare workers have to save lives while being in an environment with high exposure.
What did you learn about yourself or the people you live with during COVID-19?
During COVID-19, I learned that my family and I found ways to get through difficult situations. When stores had a shortage of sanitation supplies, my mom and I found a way to make homemade disinfecting wipes with supplies at home. My grandparents were fearful at their age to go to the grocery store when cases were very high, so my mom had to step in and help them. They also needed to be driven to appointments to get their vaccine. Since my parents had to focus on my grandparents, my brother and I had to spend more time helping around the house.
Other than wearing a mask, what was the biggest change you made to your daily life? Do you think this change will remain when all lockdowns are lifted?
The most significant change I made to my daily life was accepting that I needed to be more flexible while learning remotely and finding ways to do so. I am most productive studying when I am undisturbed and in a quiet environment. This was not the case with having roomates, since everyone was working online in the apartment, and I was very distracted because of the noise from conversations. Eventually, I found strategies to cope with the frustration, like buying noise-cancelling earbuds. It was also necessary to disinfect daily all surfaces in the apartment. Disinfecting required additional time in my schedule and therefore, I had to wake up earlier each day. Halfway through the school semester, I noticed I started getting easily distracted with being online too much. To improve my productivity, I moved my desk to a window to get natural light to brighten my day, placed my phone away from reach, and joined online clubs to get a sense of community. When all lockdowns are lifted, I do not think I will be disinfecting regularly. I anticipate that we will have in-class lectures with various places to study on campus, therefore, there will be no need to be frustrated with distractions.
Have you learned any new skills during the pandemic?
During the pandemic, one of my goals was to spend less time on social media as the increase in screen time for online school was causing exhaustion. I have always enjoyed making crafts, and during the pandemic, I chose to learn how to crochet. This skill stood out to me because the end products would be practical, and I wanted to give them to friends to brighten their day. I grasped onto crocheting and the techniques used very quickly, and almost every week, I was doing curbside pick-up at Michaels craft store. A few times I was frustrated with online shopping because I would pass over the fine print and order yarn that was the wrong weight. I participated in a few online workshops for crocheting where an instructor would guide hundreds of crafters from across the world through the crochet pattern. These workshops were free during COVID and the instructors were happy for you to support their social media page.
How do you feel about university education in the last year?
I think the university has transitioned to online learning reasonably well; however, I think the dynamic of the classes and their relation to in-person will vary with every professor. In some courses I enrolled in, I felt very disconnected from the professor, content, and my classmates. Whereas others it felt like I was in person in the class, even though I was on my laptop in my bedroom. The courses that I had felt were livelier, the professors made an effort to engage us in the virtual classroom. In order to get students connecting virtually with each other, professors encouraged us to participate in breakout rooms on zoom. In breakout rooms, we are placed in several smaller groups where we can virtually discuss the course content. Being in a smaller setting allows everyone to get a chance to participate. Discussion posts were another tool to connect with our classmates by posting your thoughts on course topics. In this platform, students can reply and share their opinions with others. Some professors also spent a portion of the end of the lecture guiding us through breath exercises, stretches and yoga poses. This made it a very fun and exciting environment.
List one positive thing and one negative thing you'll take away from 2020:
One positive thing I will take away from 2020 is reconnecting with friends and family. With classes being online, many people including myself had more spare time. Some of my friends from highschool that I disconnected when starting university reached out to me. Additionally, with online lectures, I lost the social aspect, such as small talk with friends and connecting after class. Due to this feeling of disconnect, I studied with my friends on zoom before midterms. Zoom allowed me to connect with many friends at the same time that were from different cities in Ontario. One negative thing I will take away from 2020 is that people still choose to disregard protocols even in a life-threatening crisis like the pandemic. This was very frustrating, especially since my immediate family went above and beyond to stay home. It was saddening to see people that I knew from high school post on their social media pages that they are having large gatherings indoors, without masks or social distancing.
What is the best movie or TV show you've watched, or the best book you've read, in the past 18 months?
One of the best shows I have watched in the past 18 months is called New Amsterdam. In this TV series, the main character, Dr. Max Goodwin, receives an offer to be the medical director at the oldest hospital in America called New Amsterdam. Dr. Goodwin is not an ordinary medical director. Instead, he makes every effort to rebuild a health care system that gives quality treatment to each patient and does not focus on profit. Dr. Goodwin establishes this dynamic in the hospital by going against the rules, leading to conflict with the doctors, the Dean, and his wife. Unfortunately, during his time at the hospital Dr.Goodwin develops throat cancer, and he struggles with slowing down with his involvement in the hospital, as many people suggest he should. At the beginning of the season two finale, the actor who played Dr. Goodwin had spoken about the original episode which was scheduled to be called “Pandemic”. However, they withheld from showing this as they did not want the tragic experiences the world was already going through to be a form of entertainment.
How large of an impact do you think COVID-19 has had on your mental health?
My mental health was moderately affected by COVID-19. My well-being varied depending on the point we were at in the pandemic. When schools across Ontario shut down to stop the spread of COVID-19, I went home from university to be with my family. The first few weeks, I enjoyed having more than usual spare time and spent this watching movies, building puzzles with my family, painting, and doing housework. In the month of May, there was more of a decrease in my mental health because everyday was gloomy outside and I was beginning to get bored of doing the same activities. At the beginning of the university transitioning online, I was often frustrated with technology which lead to me feeling alone. When all the protocols were enforced, I noticed everything seemed to take longer than needed. The grocery stores were often overwhelming for me with their line-ups outside, empty shelves, and some items were restricted on the amount that could be purchased. I was often fearful while taking public transit to get to grocery stores because of the continued spread of COVID-19.
How has technology impacted your life during lockdown?
Technology has increased my quality of life during the lockdown and kept me feeling very safe. Technology made information about COVID-19 easily accessible. This was crucial as it helped answer questions about the virus, the variants and how it spreads. By researching information on the internet, it puts me at ease. In several instances, such as dance classes at the gym, I needed to fill out COVID-19 screening questions online prior to attending. This reassurance that everyone had to do this made me have trust in the organization in keeping people safe. With technology, I connected with family and friends that were not in my bubble, and we often exchanged our unique COVID-19 experiences. The people I connected with were experiencing similar emotions during the pandemic, like frustration, boredom and fear. This gave me a sense of security and reassurance that I was not alone. Technology is a brilliant tool but because of the increase in usage during the pandemic, it has caused many people to be distracted by social media and notifications. Therefore, there is a lack of presence and attentiveness during virtual meetings.
How has the pandemic brought wider acknowledgement to systemic racism in Canada?
The pandemic brought wider acknowledgment to systemic racism in Canada with regards to the vaccine distribution. In the beginning of the pandemic, the vaccine distribution was very limited and seemed to focus on age groups. It was not until months later when the government decided to distribute the vaccine to hot spots where these areas are more vulnerable to COVID-19. Most of the hot spots are populated with immigrants. Bringing the vaccine distribution to these hot spots showed how the government was acknowledging systemic racism. Having these vaccine clinics close by for these minorities allowed easy accessibility as many do not have a form of transportation.
In what ways do you envision society changing due to the pandemic?
I envision that due to the pandemic, society will change and people will be more cautious of their perosnal sanitation. We have all learned from the pandemic how easily COVID-19 spreads and how long the virus lasts on clothing and surfaces. Therefore, I think that buisnesses, schools, camps, doctor's offices and grocery stores will all continue with their sanitation practices. I think masks will also be encouraged to be worn in public places when people are not well especially in the winter during flu season. I think that people will be more resistant from certain greeting gestures such as hugging and shaking hands. When the pandemic is eventually over I think people will have trust in the governments regarding changes to the way society operates.
Now that you are done with both the course and your additions to the archive, is there anything you'd like to reflect on?
Learning about pandemics from the past revealed how similar we have handled COVID-19 to those times. The podcast we listened to about mask culture was interesting to me. Some countries like China adapted to mask wearing very easily, whereas the United States did not. I think this speaks to what societies new normal will entail, and whether people will continue with the protocols. I have a better understanding of the work historians do. Historians can take journals, diaries, photographs, personal stories and form lessons from them, which can then be applied to current pandemics. This was fascinating to me because I initally thought it would be difficult for historians to use the past to aid current pandemics, considering all the technology we have today. However, I learned that many things in the past reflect the present. Participating in an archive was a great experience, when searching through my personal pictures, I put myself into a historians perspective and gave deep thought on how they could make sense of these photos. This was a different approach to any projects I have previously done and inspired me to start a jounrnal.