Updated: Oct 21, 2021
As a young individual and a high-schooler, I know the years of the pandemic have been hard. Challenging all of us both physically and mentally. And, in this article, it reflects upon the year of COVID through a medical and emotional standpoint.
This article is an interview for two physicians, determining the pros and cons of the pandemic from a view as a mother, as a physician and as a human being. Kamala P. Tamirisa, MD, FACC and Jennifer Co-Vu, MD, FACC share how their children’s lifestyle changes have changed and improved in many ways.
Polarization and shared responsibility. As a teen, looking through the news everyday is quite horrific. We have many opposing views, from wars around the world to political views. But, none of these are life-threatening. But, a pandemic is. Everyday, people die due to carelessness and the lack of shared responsibility to keep everyone safe. And, yet people continue to act out of impulse, not realizing its severity. Co-vu describes it as “disappointment” as she is baffled by the leaders during these times of importance and the confusion upon which direction to go in this time of difficulty.
And, Co-vu brings up her anger and frustration. She says, “Conspiracy theorists started coming out as quick as this pandemic screaming, "It's all fake!" These "Coronavirus Deniers" think this pandemic is a hoax and have total disregard for social distancing.” And, it is an important message because taking vaccines and following COVID guidelines is a shared responsibility for all, but it is not being taken that way, but rather being taken as a joke. We still see people partying, not maintaining social distance and not wearing masks.. And risking themselves and others for their “liberty and independence.”
But, there are pros in our lifestyle and health, Tamirisa describes it as “Time for Science and Self,” as she states, she has more time for her hobbies and produces more work in her field of passion. She now has time for everything, she can pursue interests which weren’t possible before. She also states her improvement for Telemedicine as a physician, in a world where everything is virtual. Physicians are pushed to move virtual as well, and in a job, where it can’t seem to be done virtually it has been done! The improvements of Telemedicine has helped physicians practice upon diagnosing virtually.
In all, the COVID pandemic has helped us make changes to our life, both good and bad. But, one thing we can all agree upon, is we have definitely learned a new thing about this world and ourselves during this time!
