MY PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE OF LIFE DURING COVID-19.

I just sat down within their midst, deep in thought and wondered how a tiny invisible creature can make the world standstill. The year 2020 was one of my most awaited years because I had a lot of plans for this year and this decade. My friends and I had planned to visit several villages before the year ended. However, this has turned out to be a historical year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the virus started in China, no one would have imagined that it would cross borders and would hit the world like it has today. No one would have also guessed activities in the busiest world cities like New York would be brought to a standstill. Worse of all, in my wildest imagination, I couldn’t have imagined that I would witness a time when a virus would cause the major part of the global population to lockdown for months and I would see the most deaths from a virus in such a short time. Who would have thought that white-collar jobs and non-white-collar jobs as well as schooling would be brought to a halt? For weeks, the virus made its way into our news headlines. How can such a lethal invisible microbe affect all sectors of our economy? It was at this point that I had a better understanding of our microbiology lecturer, professor Morrison’s frequent saying, “Never underrate the power of a microbe”. The virus, though tiny and invisible can cause much havoc as we are experiencing now. Fear gripped me that afternoon as I sat absent-mindedly in the midst of my group members under the summer hut discussing issues pertaining to the approaching pandemic then. I could see them talking but couldn’t make meaning from what they were saying. I was just imagining how lives would be for us and especially the aged should Ghana record a case of COVID-19. I thought of my aged mum and my younger siblings who of course had little idea about the pandemic and wouldn’t know how to protect themselves. My department made available to us an electronic hand sanitizer machine. So before I left for my hostel that afternoon, I had already sanitized my hands and cell phone about six or seven times. That is how far fear of the novel coronavirus could take me even before Ghana could record a first case of it. Though I was scared but deep down, I was happy because by all means the approaching examinations would be cancelled. When the lockdown started, I was ecstatic. I was happy and a bit confident I would be okay. After all, how hard could staying at home possibly be? After a while, the reality of the situation started to sink in. I haven’t gone out of the house for close to four months due to fear of contracting the respiratory disease. The novelty of being at home wore off and I started to struggle. I suffered from regular panic attacks, frozen on the floor in my room, unable to move or speak. I had nightmares most nights and struggled to sleep. The journalists announced to the general public on a daily basis the increasing death toll of the pandemic nationwide and worldwide and that really increased my fear and anxiety. I followed all the measures given by the health practitioners about the COVID-19: regular hand washing, exercising, drinking warm lime water and eating more of garlic and ginger. Of course, I never forgot to sanitize. My family couldn’t hold back their laughter anytime I ran away from any conversation regarding the pandemic. I knew that fear and anxiety was taking control of me and I had no option but to stop listening to the journalists, both on television and on radio. The 2009 H1N1 pandemic really didn’t affect me that much. It could be because I was too young then. But the COVID-19 really had a negative toll of me. However, over time, I found ways to deal with the fear and pressure. As Caryn Sullivan rightly said, “In the face of adversity, we have a choice. We can be bitter, or we can be better. Those words are my North Star”. I chose to work meticulously to see more of the positive impacts than the negative impacts. I realized the lockdown gave me more time to the things I loved, hobbies that had been previously swamped by schoolwork. I took one or two free online courses that really broadened my horizon. I started baking, reading, writing again, and I felt free for the first time in months. I had forgotten how good it felt to be creative. I started spending more time with my family. I hadn’t realized how much I missed them. I, for instance have a newfound gratitude for everything around me. By God’s grace, my family is healthy. These days, one or two friends regularly check up on me. I find myself calling old friends and relatives to see if they are doing well or if they need anything. I can’t help but think that this slowdown has done some good for humanity. With schools and offices shut, the daily morning ruckus has been replaced by lazy mornings with wholesome breakfast, quality time and family bonding. Most times, after my personal studies, I help my younger siblings with one or two assignments. Another takeaway from this crisis is that we have learned to use resources optimally. With restrictions from shops, supermarkets and delivery chains, we are forced to make do with whatever is available. We make sure not to cook in excess so as not to waste food. My mum and I paid particular attention to our backyard farm in order to reduce the cost of buying groceries. What better way to have food on the table and a therapy for the mind? On top of it, I have been able to do away with my low self- esteem. I read books and listened to audios to help boost my confidence. I started to become accountable to my own self, visualizing myself as I wanted to be and doing at least one thing that scares me always. I focused on what I can change, questioned my inner critic and took 50 days of rejection challenge. Walking my dog multiple times per day has become a routine that both of us enjoy. One of the most encouraging moments I experienced during this hard times was a story my Anglican bishop shared at church. It was about the 1918 Spanish flu survivor. The bishop stated, “ There is so much history contained in her. She was a toddler during the1918 pandemic and would be 104 this year. And yet she reminds us that we survive and indeed, we go on to thrive. Her enduring presence reminds us that this too shall pass and God will call us into a hopeful and promising future”. I really felt encouraged and found a new sense of hope during service that day. Being in the yet to be developed part of the city, I did the little I can do to support my community. I assisted the church presbytery to share some foodstuffs and groceries to the church members. Healthcare workers on the other hand are being tested physically and emotionally. I usually expressed gratitude to healthcare workers in my vicinity. Being part of the health committee of my school, we took it upon ourselves to create awareness of the pandemic in our communities and on our social media platforms and also to encourage families of victims who had contracted the disease. Together with a few vibrant people in my community, we mounted stages during the evenings with observed social distancing to show to them how proper hand washing must be done and the benefits of wearing nose masks and sanitizing. Not only that but also, we advised the aged and people with underlying chronic ailments to never skip a dose of their medication and to eat healthy. The commercial drivers within my locality proved a bit tough but we still with our widow’s mite, we forced them to comprehend to the president’s directives on social distancing in their respective cars. I believe volunteerism makes one feel better and happier and I’m glad I did. Ultimately, the greatest lesson that COVID-19 can teach humanity is that we are all in this together. These so-called bleak times are necessary to go through in order to get to a much better place. We have a chance to do something extraordinary. Create a world of love. A world where we are kind no matter what class, race, sexual orientation, what religion or lack of or what job we have. A world we do not judge those at the food bank because that may be us if things were just slightly different. Let us have a renewed empathy towards the lesser privileged. Let love and kindness be our roadmap.