The Corona Diary

Dear Diary,

So it’s the middle of a pandemic and I thought I would write about it. You probably have a lot of questions, so hold on let me explain. I started this journal because a lot’s been going on and well when you're out of school for a month you have a lot of time!

 We are out of school for a month because of a virus that is taking over the nation- Coronavirus. I’ve always wanted to be a journalist and this is the perfect time. Unfortunately Massachusetts residents have been ordered to stay-at-home. So I decided to report everything here. We can call it the “Corona Diary.” 

Basically, everything has been canceled. From March Madness to the Olympics, even Disney is closed! We’re at the tip of the iceberg and it’s about to crack. All the major chaos started three weeks ago.

It was a Friday and I was going to school just like any other day. Rumors filed the 8th grade hallways about school closing. Honestly, I hadn;t thought much about it. I thought maybe we would close for a week or two but I definitely did not expect what was about to come my way. 

It was the last period, room 308, US History, and my classmates and I were anxious to know what would happen. The principal went on the loud-speaker and announced that school was still on and that we had nothing to worry about. I wanted to believe her but I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. The inner-journalist in me knew there was more to the story. 

The bell rang, to dismiss us and I walked over to my locker to pack my bag and get home. I quickly checked my phone to see new alerts popping up by the minute. What was going on? I scanned over the headlines to see that four states had already shut down school for the rest of the year! I was stunned. How was school still on? 

I had questions and I needed answers, so when I arrived home I immediately turned on CNN. There were now 41 reported deaths in the United States. I checked my phone and received a text from my mom saying “no school for 1 week!” What? Less than 20 minutes ago our principal had said school was still on but now it was cancelled for a week! This just shows how rapidly the situation will continue to grow. 

It wasn’t until two days later that the governor of Massachusetts stated that schools would be closed until April 7th-3 weeks. Reality really hit me in the face. I was not ready for what was to come next. Nobody was prepared. Soon after we had been informed of school closing for 3 weeks, there was another change. We were now out of school until May 4th! 

Now that you know my side of the story it is time to tell you the facts. To be honest, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. It is uneasy dealing with the unknown but as a future journalist I am not here to complain about our lack of resources, it is my job to inform you on the crisis.

 One of my beloved CNN journalists-Chris Cuomo was just diagnosed positive for coronavirus. All though he is ill he is still doing his show every night from his basement. This just goes to show that during these trying times, us journalists can band together to deliver our viewers their much needed news. 

As of 4/4/20, there have been 7,152 reported deaths in the United States. The hospitals are overflowing with COVID-19 patients. The CDC just announced that they recommend everyone to wear cloth-face covering. The problem is that people are stocking up on medical masks that they don’t need leaving the hospitals without protective equipment for the doctors and nurses. The federal government is not providing these resources making each state fight on their own. 

I am scared. Not only for the life of my family and I but for the doctors and nurses who are risking their lives to treat patients. I just watched a video of a nurse saying that she quit her job because her hospital unit expected her to treat COVID-19 patients without providing masks. 

The health-care workers have no choice. They have to go into work even if they might bring the virus back to their families or infect themselves. The only other option is the quit. Losing your job in the middle of a pandemic doesn't seem like a good deal. Not to mention, the stock market is falling so now wouldn't be a good time to quit your job. 

Some people are not taking social-distancing  measures seriously. The new term “social-distancing” that’s been prompted by the novel Coronavirus, is supposed to prevent the spread of the disease by reducing social contact. States are beginning to crack down on people who are not abiding by the “social-distancing” measures. Louisville is making residents who have been in contact with coronavirus patients and are not following the state’s social distancing, to wear ankle bracelets to track them. 

My mind is feeling tangled trying to process everything that is happening around me. School closing, social-disting warnings, quarantining and the fear of obtaining the virus. 

How do I know that I am safe? I guess you never really know until it is over. The only thing I can do in the meantime is to write. Writing helps me calm my nerves during these devastating times. I can write everything out and pretend I am reporting from T.V. The news sometimes can get overwhelming, but I promise you if I ever become a news reporter I will tell you the truth and only the truth. 

I might only be 14 years old but this is a historic moment in my life. Maybe one day when I am grown up and already a CNN anchor, I will find this diary and remember where it all started.