Monday, March 23, 7:51 p.m.

The whole coronavirus pandemic is a weird situation for me. Sometimes I feel panicked about the situation, but sometimes I feel like everything is out of my control. I have a compromised immune system due to the fact that I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes almost a year ago, so the coronavirus could definitely be a life or death situation for me.

I would say I’m very introverted, so social distancing is something that is easy for me, but with the stresses from school, taking care of my niece while she is out of school due to coronavirus as well, and just dealing with everyday life, I wouldn’t really consider this as my “perfect” social distancing element. When the whole quarantine topic arose, I believed this would be a peaceful time for me to be able to focus on my work; but as time goes on, I realize that this is harder than what my regular life was before the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic takes my anxiety to a point I’ve never experienced before. At the end of every day, I must remind myself that although I might feel like this is the worst situation I can possibly be in, there are people whose situations are worse than mine by a long shot.

Tuesday, March 24, 8:23 p.m,

Today the Governor implemented the “stay at home order,” which is where I reside. This doesn’t really make me feel any different because I was already following those protocols. What does make me nervous about the “lockdown” is other people’s reactions. I know it’s already been very difficult with finding food and other supplies at the supermarkets or pharmacies, and I feel like the implementation of this order is going to put people in an even more panicked state.

I know the order was created to stop the spread of coronavirus, but as I’ve heard from word of mouth around my community, no one is taking it seriously the way they should. They are panicking about the food shortage, but not the actual virus itself. This really frustrates me because I know many people who are out of work and others who are immune-compromised, like myself, who must cease their regular activities because of this virus; and to see people treat it with such disregard is really upsetting.

Wednesday, March 25, 6:10 p.m.

Today was actually a better day for me. My family and I had a small barbeque and watched as my niece and her friend played in the pool.  It felt nice to have my mind on something else for a change. I feel like that’s the key to getting through this rough time: finding new ways to entertain yourself that you would have never thought of before. For instance, me and my friend, who’s currently quarantining with me and my family, tried yoga for the first time today. It was extremely out of my comfort zone, but I really enjoyed myself and think I found a new hobby through that. I think what the coronavirus isolation period is teaching many people is that we are too codependent on traditional ways to have fun. Believe it or not, there are so many things that someone can come up with to do in the comfort of their home, but in order to do that, we have to expand our minds and be willing to try new things out of our comfort zones.

Thursday, March 26, 5:42 p.m.

Today I decided to interview some of my family members and friends about their thoughts on the coronavirus. The first person I decided to interview was my friend, Dynesha Peterson. She’s 21 and currently home from the University of Miami due to the coronavirus. 

“I think coronavirus should be taken seriously. I feel like the whole pandemic has gotten out of control because we’ve allowed it to.” She continued, “It’s kind of like an injury that needs to heal, we just have to let it heal, and we should be doing that through quarantine”

I also spoke to my niece, Olivia Camacho. She’s six, and although she doesn’t really understand the severity of the topic she had some insightful views on it. 

“I’m not too worried about it, but it’s bad for other people. They need to shut down all the places in America for the safety of all people.” I think it’s interesting to see that regardless of differentiating factors, everyone I interviewed sees how serious the virus is and the importance of social distancing during this rough time.

Friday, March 27, 4:59 p.m.

My day started out with me spending some time outside in the pool with family. While outside, we just listened to music and enjoyed the outdoors. During this pandemic, I think it’s important for people to get outside for fresh air as long as they are following the rules of social distancing and isolation in the boundaries of their homes. Staying completely inside, locked in a room, can have severe effects on a person’s mental health. Whether it be in their backyard or front porch, I believe it is essential during a time of distress.

Another thing I did today was work on some assignments for my classes. I’m not very fond of the online transition for some of my classes. Because I am in the New Media Communication major, I’m taking some digital media courses this semester, and so far, I’m finding it difficult to comprehend the information in an online setting. This is only week one. Hopefully, things seem to pick up and become easier to handle along the rest of the semester.

Saturday, March 28, 10:33 p.m.

Today was generally a peaceful day for me. Before the coronavirus pandemic, I usually used Saturdays as the day to go out and treat myself at a restaurant or maybe see a new movie. Recently, I’ve been using it as a day to catch up on some shows or perform a task I’ve been holding back on.

I started the day out with rearranging my room, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for some time but have yet to have the opportunity. It felt good getting something done that didn’t pertain to school. I tend to focus a lot of my time solely on my academics, but because coronavirus has me quarantined to my home, I’m able to get my work done quickly, and still have extra time on my hands to focus on other things. Although the coronavirus isolation isn’t fun in the slightest degree, I’m doing my best to find the positives in the situation and hope that soon everything can go back to normal.