Experience of COVID-19

This is a reflection on what I have learnt from my experience with COVID-19, and how it is affecting my ethical considerations.

What am I learning from the experience of the coronavirus as a global issue?

From this issue, I think that I am learning a lot about the different medical systems around the world. Since I am interested in pursuing medicine as a career, I have been reading up on how the different countries are dealing with the pressing issue of the coronavirus. I have been reading up on the different hospitals and how they are trying to handle the situation, as well as how effective or not their measures are in terms of curing as many patients as possible. Through this research, I have definitely learnt that a global pandemic such as this one is extremely overwhelming to the healthcare system, as in most countries, the number of cases are too high, and the countries no longer have any hospital beds available to treat new patients. This is a significant issue that is affecting the whole world, and observing what has been happening around me has definitely made me more aware of the gravity of the situation. I think that this is definitely going to be a very significant aspect of our lives, considering the fact that we are teenagers during this time, and we are old enough to really understand what has been happening.

From a personal standpoint, I am learning a lot more about important skills such as organisation and adaptability. Since the circuit breaker period started, and we started online learning, I have had to be a lot more organised in terms of having all of my materials prepared and being on top of my work. I have to make sure to stick to lesson times and complete all the work in case I miss out on anything. This lifestyle is a new one for everybody, and it has therefore taught me a lot about how to adapt to situations that might not be too convenient – for example, it is definitely a challenge to have to continuously stare at a screen and stay focused all day, but I have put together a system that works well for me, where I make sure to step out of the house in order to get some fresh air every day. I have learnt to be more reliant on the things that I have available at home, such as workout videos that I can do to stay healthy… I have also learnt a lot about how important it is to stay motivated during a time like this, especially since I have a lot of work to do – I definitely think that being stuck at home takes a toll on your attitude and on your energy, but I have learnt that it is really important to continue motivating yourself and staying on top of things.

How is it prompting and testing my ethical considerations?

I think that living through a pandemic like this has definitely prompted and tested my ethical considerations. I have learnt to be a lot more conscious about how I am acting (considering I am in a much more privileged situation compared to how others might be around the world), but I have also learnt to be a lot more considerate about the people around me. For example, I have tried, as much as possible, to go out for my walks alone, in order to avoid the risk of spreading the virus. Although it has been quite a challenge to not be able to have any social interaction for such an extended period of time, I have maintained social distancing, and I have not seen anybody since school closed. Lastly, I have tried to stay at home as much as possible, and I have not stepped out of my house unless I have to help with the groceries or I am going out for some fresh air and exercise.

On another note, I think that this experience has also made me more aware about cultural differences, and how people can act out due to rumours that are spread around – for example, when news about the virus first surfaced, a lot of people started acting xenophobic towards people from China, solely blaming the country for the outbreak and spreading a lot of racist comments on social media. It is really important to be respectful to all countries and all cultures, and to accept the fact that we are going through a pandemic – saying racist and hurtful comments to any particular population does nothing but harm people, and it is therefore important to be considerate of the others around us and how our actions might have repercussions. I think that it is really important to think carefully about how what one says may affect others, especially on social media, and especially regarding such a topic.