Answer:
A lot of articles have been published by adults about how they are being impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. But we haven’t heard as much from kids about what their experiences are like. This thoughtful and hopeful essay was written by 8th grader Amir, the son of CSI’s Accounting Clerk Fatemeh Tizhoosh. We are gratefully sharing it here with his permission.
COVID-19 is a pandemic. Billions of people are being affected and millions of people are being infected. We can’t go outside and play, school is closed and we can’t visit family and friends. The novel coronavirus has caused many loved ones to be mourned and missed. But is it as bad as it seems? Covid-19 has also caused some very good things to happen. Like a healing earth, new technology, and community engagement.
Upon the recent worldwide quarantines and lockdowns, we have collectively significantly cut down on emissions. These cutbacks are helping the ozone layer recover faster then us humans would have been able to do. That is if we were going to do anything in the first place. Anyways, the ozone layer isn’t the only part of this beautiful world we live in that’s getting better. Our oceans, rivers, and lakes they are becoming cleaner and more suitable for ocean life. Hopefully the ocean life will have a baby boom and be the start of helping the natural order of life be restored. If the natural order of life be restored it would mean that many endangered species, like polar bears, tigers, pandas, and rhinos will no longer be endangered as well as the hundreds of other endangered animals.
COVID-19 has caused many people to be anxious, stressed, lonely and possibly depressed. That’s why many companies are taking the lead in creating new apps and websites for people to go to and perhaps relieve themselves for any stresses and anxieties. Other companies and people are helping out governments to help the critically ill COVID-19 patients. In Singapore, the government had help from local tech companies to launch an app called TraceTogether. The app uses Bluetooth signals between smartphones to see if potential carriers of COVID-19 have been in close contact with other people. Thanks to these types of inventions, some countries have been able to slow down the rate of infection and focus on finding a cure.
There are countless stories of good people offering to pick up groceries or help with other tasks for neighbours — and even strangers — who are unable to leave their homes. This is one example of how many communities are coming together to help those who are more vulnerable in this emergency. Despite quarantines and social distancing, connections are still being made all around the world. During the lockdown in Italy, some of those quarantined are lifting their spirits and others through music or dance, another wonderful piece of evidence that communities are coming together to become one. To help people stay connected through this self-isolation period, some musicians and bands are offering free concerts online.
I think that if people keep doing these acts of kindness, governments across the world will see these types of actions and hopefully the world will come together as one and live in peace and happiness.
COVID-19 is scary. We should all be cautious and try to stay home as much as we can, and keep our distance when we must go outside. The novel coronavirus is an evolving situation and has caused sad things to happen like death and illness. We should not denote the severity of the situation, but we should remember that COVID-19 has caused some very good things to happen to us. Like a healing earth, new technology and community engagement.
