Covid & Families.

 

Covid and Families. 

Do you remember how you celebrated your last year's birthday, Christmas or Thanksgiving? Can you imagine how is it going to be this year? Probably not the same as last year. 2020 is a little bit different. No families reunion or Christmas trip for many of us. Covid has ruined this year.  One thing we learn in our early journey of this pandemic is to Stay at home. That is actually what we are doing. 

On the other hand, we can say that it brought some families together. Some families never spent time together and now they had to see them 24/7, but this is worse for a poor family. Let talk about family in a different part of the world living in the worst condition. Some have to work hard to find food or water, some got the virus but are quarantined at home with their family, others laying in the hospital missing their family, etc... This virus did not just kill, but affected us physically, emotionally, socially, and financially. We are self-disciplining when it comes to attending a crowded place even when it comes to families. It not because we are scared, but we do not want to spread this virus in our family. My family who lives in Illinois were supposed to come this weekend for my birthday party, but everyone is thinking about this pandemic. it looks like in this period, before making a decision you have to think about Corona too. My uncle always thought to have a big (fancy wedding) with a least 500 people, but we never imagine that this virus will drop 500 to 100 people and removing 400 people. The family member who are far away did not travel and some childhood friends never got the chance to attend their friend's wedding. 

The top Information was typed around September, and now actually describing this year, we are currently on December. I can guarantee everyone who will be reading this that, Covid is not worse than it were. Churches who were closed during sometime are now open. Respecting all social distance and wearing mask brought our life to normal. The only thing that is different is wearing masks and respecting hygiene. In may introduction, I Introduced some rhetorical questions which I will like to answer now. Today is December the 2nd 2020 are you still wondering how most of us are spending the end of the year? My family and I travelled back to Illinois for thanksgiving. We celebrated birthday parties and one thing we’re hoping to celebrate is Christmas and New Year. 

We always say that family is precious, what happens to parents who work a lot and only see their kids on the weekend or what about families who have all grown up children stuck in their dorms? Some parents work so hard to shape the future of their children and never get time to time together, but we can say one good part of this virus was to bring everyone together. This does not mean they have left their jobs to stay home. It is just the circumstance that made them be quarantined with their kids. Now, this is also the same as those with kids in college. Some students were supposed to stay at their dorms, but due to their classes and Covid, some were required to go back and continue the school year at home. This is stressful when you have strict parents. 

Do we know how other people live? Have we asked ourselves how other families are struggling outside The US? 

 During the lockdown, countries with many resources did not have any problem with surviving, but those who lives in difficult conditions had to find a way to live. Some lost their job due to the poor economy and those who rent had to go live with their families. This pandemic did not just affect other things, but also families. 

Covid, Races and Protest

 

                                                             Covid, Races and Protest

A new story is now written in this year of 2020. We did not just focus on the pandemic, but so many things have to happen from corona to police brutality against Black people to protest, races conflict and death of innocents people.  

This video was taken this year after the death of George Floyd ( Black man) who dies after police officers kneeled on him while he was telling them he couldn’t breathe anymore. We went from virus to police brutality. This video was called as a protest ( response) to honor his death. Many fancy boutiques such as Gucci, Apple, Luis Vuitton, and more have been robbed. Some buildings have been burned. This called “protest” lasted for about 6 days, but later everything went back to normal. This does not mean everything was resolved, but a new peaceful protest to honor George Floyd was announced and so many people used the hashtag (#Black Lives Matter), as the marching slogan not just against police, but also against any racists. The protest was global. We have seen a protest in France, Belgium, London, South Korea, and many more. Now, what everyone was asking is whether we are still in a pandemic. We were supposed to be in quarantine and not outside crowded protesting. Police brutality did not just happen in the US, but also in Nigeria. The world may not realize that there was also a protest in a different part of the world because the country is not well known as the US. Protest against the SARS ( Special Anti-robbery Squad) in Nigerian was also against police hurting citizens and the world did not talk about it. Races conflict, police brutality, deaths of many innocents, and mass of protest happened  this period of Covid. Are we expecting more by the end of this year? 

Covid pop culture and social media entries - ( US and international)

 

                                                      Covid pop culture and social media entries 

                                                                           United States 🇺🇸 

This is the Covid-19 version of “Frozen." We all know that this is not the lyrics of the song, but it is an example of how pop culture relates to covid. This song gives us an idea of how people feared Corona. How people fear to approach others and how during this pandemic TikTok ( a popular platform or social media) where people spent their time dancing. Another example presented in this song is quarantine. Elsa was quarantine and could not go outside and play with Anna because she had corona. 

                                                                               India 

This is a video from India where a police officer plays a prank to these young men who violated the lockdown. They put them in a car with a fake corona patient to see their reaction. Their reactions show how much people feared being in contact with someone who has corona. They told us that being around someone who has the virus guaranteed oneself to be infected. This pandemic is history now. The next generation may not be related, but these archives or videos will be a better way of showing them the reality of this pandemic.                                                     

Memes

UK Core Issue: How Do We Distribute Covid Vaccines?

 

                                   How Do We Distribute Covid Vaccines 

Google Image. 

    

This pandemic is making everyone a doctor. Each family has its way of curing this virus. I’m from an African family were we believe in science, but also we rely on our Africa way. I remember when this pandemic was severe, my mom used to boil water, add tea herbs, or just put lemon in the water and give us and she used to make lemon-ginger tea and give us. That is how the African culture relies on. No Vaccine has been found, but when they will officialize a Covid vaccine, not everyone will get it. To distribute a Covid vaccine to all of the residents of Fayette County, all citizens will need to register themselves, but not everyone will want to take it. To ensure that everyone will take it, the authority in collaboration with hospitals should make a group that will go to each house in the county and records them. If there is not enough vaccine for everyone then students and workers should get it first because they are the people who get exposed more than those who stay home. Workers are currently working, and are being exposed to their working places and putting their family and environment in danger. If the school will reopen then students will need to get vaccinated. To ensure workers get vaccinated, every company will need to track their employers whether they got it or not.

Covid and healthcare

  

                                        Covid and Healthcare

One thing we should worry about is if I get the virus, would I be able to pay for it or I will be covered? I was interested in comparing my country and the United States. In the United States, a person can get covered easily when he applies for, but you will need to meet the qualifications. Usually, it depends on the person income. Sometimes I do not get it when my mom go to the hospital and they tell her to apply for financial assistance. I remember, they financial assistance, did not approve her due to her income. I do not know if the government realize that people do not live to their math. Most of the money, citizen get paid, they use it for rent, pay tuition, have  a family to take care off and most important they have saving. How do you expect to have these kind of person to pay the hospital fee. This year, many changed. So many were approved, my mom visit was covered and financial assistance took care of many people. This is not worst in my country. 

In the Drc, where rich people are most politicians, it is difficult for most of the people to pay for their hospital expenses. My uncle who needed a surgery went to one of the capital biggest hospital and they could not operate him because he did not have the amount of money they asked. The type of money they asked, even a part timer in the U.S will need to to work for a 1 years without using her money. In a country where jobs are hard, it is obviously impossible to bring out the money out of packet. One thing that cannot be done in the US is paying money before the surgery. In The Congo, before getting treatment, you will need to pay the money first. It does not matter to them if you are going to die, but no money no treatment. This is not helping the population. During this time of virus, I wonder what would happen to millions of people who got the virus. The only solutions the country is relying on is the social distance and  washing hands. What I think is very important in a country is having a strong healthcare, because all those social workers will not rely on people’s money, but the country money. 

Covid, class and college.

  

                                     Covid, Class and College

                                                                         Google Image

Online education is only equal because most of us are studying at home, but not equal when it comes to others being on campus and some at home. One good thing is that the grading system has changed and allowed many students to pass. Usually, an A starts with 90%, but some classes made it easy for everyone to pass with A of 80%. All of us has been impacted by the virus, but I think there should be a hardship clause for student impacted by severe Covid for them to be in the track and not to fail classes. Concerning those who are only quarantine and feeling well, they are having the same opportunity as any other student without Covid. One thing is that the clause should explain well the students and put a condition that will only apply to a student affected. 

When classes started, the first two weeks were too tiring and I lost my motivation. I felt like not studying anymore, but then I remember not to waste money. Most of my class assignments are due at 11:59 PM. I have this one class that you have to turn in everything at 8:00 AM. I noticed that whenever I was turning in my assignment, it kept on saying late and late then I looked at the time, it says 8:00 AM. I went to read the syllabus and it is written that no late work will be accepted. My friend whom we graduated together was accepted in the UK and she wanted to study here, but view their financial situation she couldn’t. She had no choice but to work so that she can pay her tuition in the UK later. Now working full time and studying in college is the most stressful thing she is having. Sometimes, she may not have the strength to review because she came straight from work, and doing everything on herself made it hard because she has no one to remind her to do her assignment or when it is supposed to be due. 

We must ask ourselves whether we are learning something and can apply it when applying for a job now. It is not just Europe or Asia that are having a face to face classes. Some states in the US are having an in-person class. The UK is having In-person and fully online, but that doesn’t mean that the US will be less competitive in the job market than these continents because they had a face to face classes. On account of Covid, we are all going to have the same level of competition because of what counts is the performance. 

Covid History Project

 

                      CORONAVIRUS Disease 2019

 My name is Julia Lutete, and I'm from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I was born in the capital ( Kinshasa) and I'm 17 years old. I'm an African American ( Black) and I am from a Christian family. I came from a family of engineers. I moved to the United States when I was 11 years old. Right now, I'm a Freshman in the UK and still undecided on my major. This blog will be based on my real experience of the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020.

This virus started in the winter of 2019 but was aggravated in the month of March. This affected people's daily life, it killed a lot of people, shut down businesses, and lower the economy. One unique thing to me about Covid-19 is the fact that I had to (6 meters away from) greet people from far away. This Pandemic turned our life upside down. I could not believe that my senior year would have been ruined just when we were about to graduate. I remember planning my senior year like a wedding. I wanted to attend my first school dance ( prom), but I did not. I wanted to wear my African fabric designed dress, but I did not. Most importantly, I wanted to walk on stage and hold my diploma, but did not. All this because of a Pandemic. Should I blame the Virus?

                         Photo from Google. A student holding a paper toilet written “Class of 2020”    

We know that this is not the first virus to attack the world. We had a similar case in the past such as the influenza pandemic. At least with the coronavirus, the world has advanced with technology which is helping many doctors to find a cure for this virus. For this generation especially, who has never been quarantined because of a pandemic, we can consider this as a “Life War” virus. This pandemic is affected and keeps on affecting many people. Recording cases every single day and having cases in the hospital. I would not say that this virus has been worse for my family, than other people. The world is big, so many have been living in worse conditions. In a different part of the world, people live in total poverty and probably not surviving this situation. Covid-19 is a burden to people with low income, people who have medical problems, etc... In the Republic Democratic of Congo especially on the East side of the country, they just won a battle against Ebola, and not even a month, another virus comes to attack the world. 

   

I’m showing this picture because it reflects on another side of the world. This is Google's picture from somewhere in Africa.

In March, when all the schools were closed, most school districts were hoping to reopen after one week, but unfortunately we ended up finishing school at home. As a UK student and what I have seen the UK doing, UK will probably go online and in-person for all its classes for the rest of this semester. Although we were all tested, there is nothing that assures students and parents that Covid-19 will end this year. The state, the school, and parents are trying to keep the students safe. Why I think UK Will be giving in-person and online classes is to limit the spread of the Virus. We still have cases here in Kentucky and around the US. The United States is farther away with cases than other countries. . We cannot compare cases from the US to a country like The DRC because they had few cases. I think the UK should prioritize the safety of all students just like Congo did. The DRC closed all schools in the country when they only had few cases. They almost announced  a white year meaning that every student from all levels will have to repeat their classes. High School senior who was supposed to take their final exam/evaluation were sent back home and almost repeated their senior year. Their first and second exam was canceled, but now the Congolese minister of education had no choice, but to announce the exam since cases are not as before. In the case of the UK, continuing online programs will be safe for students because we have all the supplies and devices to help students. 

  

University of Kentucky testing students. I was tested in the Kroger Field. So many students were tested here, and the UK did a good job keeping everyone safe. 

                               

These are my friends in the Democratic Republic Of Congo, who were able to do their exams, after spending their school year at home. Not all schools are reopening. Most schools will open only if everything goes back to normal.