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Self-Reflection, Ethnography, and Experiences on Covid-19 Pandemic
Covid-19 Pandemic has changed the state of affairs in the world. Many, just like me, need time to heal and get past these troubling times. The world might be falling apart, but this has been a good time for me to think about my life and collect the broken pieces into something beautiful. When Covid-19 hit the country, I thought it was a passing wind. I had already planned on how I would spend my summer, but unfortunately, I had to change my plans. This pandemic has come with social distancing rules, making it impossible for people to go to places of fun. I still can’t believe that I am not going to Disneyland or even sunny-beach. I believe that during these uncertain times, people should look into how Covid-19 has affected mental health. Just like the Black Death plague, which killed almost 50% of Europe’s population. The epidemic took three years living behind piles of bodies. Just like the Covid-19 pandemic, people who have survived and are surviving have painful ordeals.
There has been a lot of debate on whether people should remain quarantine, areas to close, and areas to open for business. I believe that the Covid-19 pandemic has become a matter of politics. Leaders have failed to comprehend what the pandemic is doing to people. Businesses have closed up, and most people have lost their jobs. The isolation and separation are doing more damage than good. This period has given me a chance to gain personal insight into dealing and handling feelings and unexpected issues. The Covid-19 pandemic has affected love, sex, and everything in between. In a recent survey, the author claims that the pandemic is slowing love (Angus & Cosier 2020:2). I have had a similar experience because I have had to struggle with my love life with time. Sometimes I have felt that I don’t know how to cope.
I have witnessed a lot of people claiming how they have pressure, anxiety, and even depression. Everyone is trying to be healthy and develop the right antibodies to fight the virus. I sometimes wonder what “health” even means. Health can mean being free from diseases, but what about emotional troubles. Covid-19 has caused more emotional trouble since a lot of people are dealing with mental illness. The involuntary and voluntary confinement can be explained as an extreme withdrawal from society and things that bring sanity. Technology has made it possible for us to interact without a meeting, but this feels very different from the interactions we knew. This period has given us all a chance to interact more with family, make friends, and rekindle our hobbies.
Henninger explains that most countries have a dominant approach to think that health is biomedical (Brown, McIlwraith, & de González 2020:55). Diseases are thought to be a result of specific and identifiable agents, which can be treated in most cases. Most people do not understand why there is no cure for the Covid-19 virus. This has made most people scared, feel trapped, alone, and lonely. As the pandemic is taking a toll on the economy, financial constraints also continue increasing.
This invisible enemy is spreading without warning. Self-isolation has been exciting and depressing, depending on the day. I always loved escaping the house to catch up and hand out. Though I have not been able to go to the beach, I have relaxed more and appreciate the things I took for granted. I have learned that I am not alone, and though the virus might keep us at home, we have family and friends.
References Cited
Angus Krieg & Cosier, S.
(2020). Is the Pandemic Slowing Down Love? Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.sapiens.org/culture/covid-online-dating/
(n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2020, from http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/plague.htm
Brown, N., McIlwraith, T., & de González, L. T.
(2020). Health and Medicine. Perspectives: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, 2nd Edition.