Sarah Warsi

COVID-19 has been the talk of not just the town, but literally the entire world lately. The one thing that has stood out for me in all this chaos has been the incredible sense of global unity. Literally every person can relate to this right now, in some form, whether you know them or not. It’s been a surreal feeling.

Of course, because of the magnitude of this event, there will always be an aspect of comic relief thrown into the mix as a way of softening the fear factor. I’ve seen numerous toilet paper memes and humorous videos trying to mitigate people’s anxieties. However, I do think we need to be careful and find that fine line between making fun of the whole situation (albeit with good intentions) and acknowledging the very real threat this virus can (and already has) posed to thousands of people across the world.

So while we are practicing social distancing in its physical form, I do feel a much greater sense of community and togetherness when it comes to bonding over social media. In normal circumstances, we are always trying to limit our social media usage, but when you’re in isolation and virtually have nowhere to go, then that’s where technology becomes your best friend to help maintain a sense of connection with the outside world. This, along with just being in much more frequent communication with loved ones over the phone, checking in more often on your elderly relatives, etc. We are all doing the best that we can to keep each other uplifted and positive through our energies in some form or another.

It goes without saying that this is certainly a first for us – at least within the modern times. Nationwide lockdowns, food and basic essential shortages, mass hysteria on an unprecedented level. It’s just been a constant feeling of being unsettled and just not normal. The emails keep pouring in from various different establishments with their take on how they are handling the outbreak. It’s unreal. Truly feels like an apocalypse of some sort. I saw a quote online this week which really illustrated what I’m sure many of us have been feeling: It read “What a year this week has been.“

I couldn’t have said it better myself. In a matter of a few days, one drastic change occurred after another. Each time I would get a notification on my phone, I would dread seeing what the latest shutdown was. The cancellation of the NBA was especially eye-opening and then the trend just continued from there. Now we have a temporary nationwide travel ban. These measures are absolutely necessary for the health and safety of everyone and to contain any further spread of the virus.

I am truly hopeful that we will all come out of this on the other side, stronger and more grateful than ever, but until then, we need to stay vigilant, maintain extra precautions, take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and all that positivity and warmth will drive this dark cloud called the coronavirus out for good.