COVID-19

When the first person tested positive with COVID-19, the virus was only in China. But soon, as people traveled and spread germs and bacteria, the virus traveled all the way to the US. I live in New York, and right now there are more than 50,000 citizens in the state that have been diagnosed with COVID-19. We have not been quarantined (yet), but we are participating in social distancing and distance learning for school. When I took this photo, I was on a walk with my mother and sister. Because we live in a small town that’s walkable, this was a refreshing way to get exercise because we were stuck in our house all day. It was breezy outside, the kind of weather you expect when you know it’s about to start pouring rain at any minute. We went on the walk anyway, despite the threatening skies, for a breath of fresh air. I noticed how dark the sky was, and the contrast showed greatly against the blue sky that was barely still there. I looked up and said, “Wow, this really sets the mood of life right now–dark, stormy, and cold. No blue skies ahead, as far as we could possibly see.” We don’t know when this pandemic will cease or when scientists will find a cure. But what we do know is that if you wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, only talk to people virtually or when they are six feet away, keep your hands away from your face and most important–practice social distancing, you are decreasing your risk of contracting the virus and spreading it to others. We can only hope that our situation ends soon. Stay safe and be well.     Grace Williams, 13 Katonah, NY