Dealing with Quarantine

Dealing with Quarantine

The most alarming news of this year would definitely be the Coronavirus or the COVID-19. This trembling virus is said to have started through the wet market in Wuhan, China in December 2019. It very quickly spread across the world causing more than 1117749 cases and 22030 deaths by March 26th, 2019. In India, after 658 cases and 61 deaths, the government finally took a step forward and announced a 21-day lockdown. All colleges, schools and private workspaces are shut. Apart from the essential government services, no citizen of India is allowed to go outside of their residence. 

When this news about the virus initially spread, there was a sense of ignorance and this seemed to be ‘not such an important’ news. Gradually, people started taking this seriously and began to buy masks, sanitizers, and other hygiene products in bulk resulting in a rapid increase in their price. The issue became more serious when people realized the rate at which it spreads. Schools were shut and exams were postponed for children till the 5th grade. The panic about this virus kept on increasing and finally, the colleges and private offices closed down. 

After this panic and the number of cases kept escalating, the government in its own leisure time came out and finally announced the 3 weeks lockdown. As the awareness of this increased, practices like maintaining one’s hygiene, social distancing and quarantine were implemented. 

This whole lockdown while it is really beneficial for controlling the spread of the virus and is giving the earth a break from humans, one can always argue that this is being really problematic for the daily wagers and the overall economy of the country. However, each one of us can take a step forward and donate for providing the needy with necessities and hygiene.

The beginning of the quarantine for me was joyous and relaxing. After a long wait, I finally got the opportunity to sit at home, have no social interaction and literally do nothing. I finally got in touch with a few old friends of mine, caught up with all the shows that were on my watch list and I loved being so unproductive and still so helpful. Within a few days, boredom seeped in and I had an impulse to do something with my life. 

That’s when I finally sat down and made a ‘30 new things to do’ list and geared up to make the most out of these ‘holidays’. It was only then that my college decided to start giving in assignments and take online classes for the benefit of the students. With classes and assignments simultaneously, I started doing one new thing a day. 

Day 1 was the cliché ‘cook something different’ day where I decided to make banana pudding. The pudding wasn’t a great success, but the entire family ate it anyway. Day 2 was the ‘read a book’ day when I finally read the book ‘Vengeance’ by Mark David Abbot. I bought almost a month ago and since then it was just lying around in my house. Day 3 just ended up being the day where I finished all my assignments and chilled and spent time with my mother. The next day I sat down and cleaned the mess I had piled up in my room since forever. It was a nostalgic experience as I glanced through my old school books, cards, and notes that I had collected over time. Overall, this week had been a very productive, helpful and emotional week.

As much as I like the whole experience of staying at home, with my family and doing things at my own pace, I can’t wait for this to get over so that everything can go back to being how it was.

x