Summary: In this personal story, a 12-year-old girl named Nazneen shares her experiences and emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic. She initially heard about the virus from her teacher and was curious to learn more. She encountered misinformation and confusion but eventually gained knowledge about the virus. Nazneen's family went into lockdown, and she felt scared but complied with the restrictions. She also witnessed her cousins getting COVID but they eventually recovered. Nazneen noticed changes in her health and habits during lockdown, including weight gain. Online school was challenging for her, but she persevered with the help of relatives and supportive teachers. Nazneen and her family eventually contracted COVID, but with care and support, they all recovered. Nazneen learned the importance of caring for others during difficult times.

Takeaways:

🌟 Stay curious and seek accurate information to understand the context and facts about important issues like pandemics.

🌟 Support and show empathy towards individuals and communities affected by misinformation and stereotypes.

🌟 Adhere to safety measures and guidelines during lockdowns and pandemics for personal and collective well-being.

🌟 Be prepared for the possibility of loved ones getting sick, and offer support and care when needed.

🌟 Prioritize self-care during challenging times and be mindful of physical and mental health.

🌟 Seek help and rely on supportive networks, such as relatives, friends, and teachers, to navigate difficulties.

🌟 Emphasize the importance of kindness, care, and empathy in maintaining the well-being and recovery of individuals and communities.

Life During COVID-19: A Personal Reflection

Introduction

Hello, my name is Nazneen and I am 12 years old. I will be sharing my life story during COVID-19 and how it impacted me. When I first heard about COVID-19 I was in fourth grade, and it was a month before March break.

Curiosity and Confusion

My life changed because my table group and I were talking, and this dude brought up COVID-19. He was saying that it came from China. Right after, my teacher started talking about COVID. She said, “Students, there is a new virus that is very dangerous. You can die from it.” All the students got scared because who is not scared of death. But I wanted to know more about it, so I researched where COVID came from.

Misinformation

Many responses were saying that it is because Chinese people ate spiders. I was confused because I have a lot of Chinese friends and they said they would never eat spiders. So, I got mad about that response because it is offensive even if you are not Chinese. The next day, I had a fair amount of knowledge. One of my friends, Lucas, said, “A doctor from America made the virus because his experiment had gone wrong and he had to move to China with the virus.” It did make sense.

Life in Lockdown

After that, we had to go into a lockdown. I thought it was like we were gonna die and we could. I was very sad because my family takes these things seriously. We were not allowed to open the door to go outside. We also were not allowed to go in the backyard because you never know. Ever since that, I knew it was serious. All we did in the house was eat, clean, watch TV and play board games.

Close Encounters

During the middle of the lockdown, my cousins got COVID. I was pretty scared because I did not want them to die. So, I was scared but I thought they were just faking the news that people mostly in their teens and adults have it and everyone in their house had it. Luckily, they got better.

Weight gain and Online School

When the lockdown was on, I turned pretty fat because all I would do is eat because there is nothing else to do. We had to go back to school, and everything was the same but you needed to wear a mask and have social distance. When I was in Grade 5, the class was online and in Grade 6 it was on and off.

Challenges of Online School

Online school was the worst thing ever. By the end of the year, I could have been blind. In Grade 5, online class was the worst because I moved during COVID, and it was hard because only a few people could come help but that did not stop us. We had a lot of relatives help us. So, when I joined my new class online, I had a very strict teacher and she yelled at me all the time. Luckily, all the work I did paid off. In Grade 6, like I said it was on and off and our teachers let us off the hook.

Personal Battle with COVID-19

During the winter break of 2021, my family got COVID because I had it. I thought it was all my fault, but it was not because it is something that comes and goes to everyone even if they did not want it.

The Physical Toll

Being as the first one to go through this, it was very hard because I did not feel well. I could not get to sleep, and I was always vomiting because I have a weak stomach. It was hard for me to eat food without throwing up. My parents always sent me soup and when I started hearing mom coughing, I was very sad because my mom had to take care of my other siblings who got sick and I have a baby brother, which was even harder. So, my dad was all alone to provide for us until he got sick.

The Power of Care

But then it was my turn. I was feeling better, so I started taking care of them and our relatives sent us lots of food and soup. Luckily, we all got better. I realized that it is important to care. If we don’t help and we don’t care, everyone will just get sick in the end.