A Teen's Feelings During The COVID-19 Pandemic

By: Abby

I am a teen in the USA during the covid-19 pandemic of 2020. 

At first I thought it to be a funny joke. I saw it on social media. Me and my friends LAUGHED about the chance of getting it. We thought it was a small flu like sickness in China. 

We were wrong.

I then saw some information about it on the news, small bits and pieces. I heard that a few people had actually DIED from it in China. I still was not scared or worried. I continued like normal. Going to school, hanging out with people, BREATHING fresh air. 

I didn’t realize how lucky I was.

I then found out it was in a few other countries, Italy, France, England..... some people were nervous.... I was not. I found out people had died from it. Not a large amount but still a decent amount that led some to worry. But life continued.

Not. For. Long. 

Suddenly it was all over the news. Countries were full of infected people. Hundreds were dying. More countries were getting numbers of it. A few people started wearing masks just in case. But still, those countries were far. I was naive enough to thing it won’t reach me. The government will solve it. All would be fine. 

I should have known. 

Then it happened. China and Italy had fallen. There was a quarantine and no one can leave there. THOUSANDS were dying or sick. There was no cure. The first few cases were found in the US. My parents started making me wear a mask. I was embarrassed. I thought it was stupid and pointless. It was still so far away. 

Or so I thought. 

One day I was let out of school, the school said it would close for 2 weeks due to safety measures. I was so excited. Me and my friends had a party that night. It would be our last. I was starting to get a little scared. I heard of a few people getting it. Even someone I knew. People were buying supplies... sanitary items. They were stocking up. I thought they were being extra careful. But still I thought it would be fine because the news said that only seniors get affected by it.

How wrong I was. 

School did not open up 2 weeks later... or 4... or 6. The government implemented a national quarantine. 6 feet apart. No contact. Masks must always be on. There was no water in the stores... no sanitizers... no gloves... no masks.... it felt like the apocalypse. I was scared. I did not get to say goodbye to my friends. I did not know if they were ok. NO PHYSICAL CONTACT. The numbers were climbing... and climbing... and climbing. We were number 1. We had even more cases than China did. The streets were empty and no one left their houses. It affected ALL ages. 

Online school started and it was so hard to focus. I was so tired of waiting for things to be normal again. One of my parents could not work anymore and the other had to work long hours online. It was even tough to make money. There was no cure. There was no help. They then found out this might have been a weapon created to destroy people. A weaponized virus. That scared everyone. This is no joke anymore. No one is laughing. If only we had taken action earlier. This will be a history lesson to future classes. This was like the bubonic plague that I was taught about. A living hell. I am still in quarantine. It has been 3 months. 

I am a teen who is living through the covid-19 pandemic.

And I wish it would end.