Corona Diary: Day 29-32
The diary of a student who is no longer in school, following what this new virus means for us.
Without a lot to do, I’ve resorted to the unfortunate pastime of thinking. Currently, that isn’t a very good idea. It’s been hard not to wonder about the changes that have happened as a result of the corona virus and how permanent those changes might be, including if the virus goes away.
A recent radio interview I heard talked about the possibility of wearing masks becoming compulsory, even when we’re out of lock down. Although they concluded that it was unlikely, I couldn’t help thinking how many other changes would be more permanent. These measures are likely to cause an increased awareness of germs, so could that mean that people continue social distancing measures to some extent after quarantine is over?
Could virtually empty streets still be the normal after all this?
Things like shopping and school have already changed dramatically, with people queuing outside supermarkets to get basic groceries and no-one in schools at all. It’s hard to believe that we could continue like that, even if some of the measures are for the better, once we don’t have to. Nobody wants to have to stay 2 metres apart at all times.
However, there are some changes which might have positive impacts if we were to continue them long term. Levels of nitrogen dioxide and other polluting gases have dropped significantly in most cities as the number of cars, planes and other types of transport being used have been lowered. There’s also been clearer water and even animals returning to their natural places in some areas.
Some of these changes could be for the best if they were more permanent. The issue is that we would have to sacrifice the normal ‘everyday’ that we knew before and, even though that could be beneficial to our health and our planet, those changes would be hard to make.
by Lily Tibbitts
One thought on "Corona Diary: Day 29-32"
Comments are closed.