Sophie writes to future generations about the Coronavirus outbreak.
When the first signs of the coronavirus appeared in the UK, people freaked. Panic buying had commenced: people were buying toilet roll, hand sanitiser, enough food to feed 10 families, hand wash and that’s just some of the things – the shelves were empty. This seems absurd now, but desperate times calls for desperate measures!
It felt like the end of the world. We were close to having a food shortage issue too, due to all the extra items people had bought. We saw the cruelness and selfishness of humanity. People didn’t care if they had already enough toilet rolls, they needed more. We became green with envy.
Due to the virus circulating faster, the government had to do something fast. The UK was put on lockdown on March 23rd, 2020. The previous social distancing measures weren’t quite enough; we needed to lock us down. This lockdown meant you could only leave your house for necessities, only one 1 hour of outdoor exercise was allowed, no meeting of family members or friends. Nothing. We couldn’t do anything, stuck indoors. Being stuck in was difficult. It seemed unfair as if our freedom was being taking away from us before our eyes, eventually I saw the purpose of it.
During this time people realised what they were doing and finally we became a team together. Celebrities gave millions to help find a cure. Every Thursday at 8pm a clap for the NHS and people on the front line rang out to show our appreciation. It was lovely to see and be a part of. We became human again and there for each other.
This virus brought us all closer as a team and helped us see the beauty of the world. We started helping our elderly or housebound neighbours. It became rewarding as I managed to develop new skills I never would have had time to learn. I found a new love for things and for others around me. I learned to appreciate family and time spent with them.
Our environment also begun to heal; climate change wasn’t in the news as much as it had been. We healed and the world did too. That’s why the world is in a much better state now than it used to be.
The coronavirus and us being locked down allowed us all to press pause on our busy schedule and take the time out to breath and rebuild one another we all came together as one. It’s strange to think that a world pandemic can cause such destruction and suffering but also fix some issues.
50 years on, I look back at those difficult times and realise that was when the world changed for the better. It took a horrible virus, the loss of loved ones, and months spent in our houses to make that change. I still think of those poor souls who were taken from us too soon, and pray for them every day.
