COVID-19 has put many people out of work and sent students home early from college. The disease has killed thousands, and  certain parts of the country have been on lockdown as a result, which means people have been encouraged not to leave their homes. In some states, you can’t go outside without a mask, or you’ll be fined for not wearing a mask.

In Springfield, non-essential workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the shutdown have had to apply for unemployment. As an environmental worker at MGM Springfield, I have also had to apply for unemployment. I had been working to make sure the whole casino was clean, but then we got laid off for two weeks with pay. I had to file for unemployment like everyone else in every other department besides security. I thought about applying to a job that is critical in this situation, but I decided just to concentrate on school, to collect some unemployment money, and to maybe catch up on some sleep while taking a break from work. Though it may not be for all, unemployment seems like a benefit to me in many ways, since I can do more throughout my day, like working out and focusing on better eating habits. I was eating terribly while at school and this gives me time to improve my health and to get in better shape for my upcoming rugby season that I hope will still happen once we return to school again for the next school year. I never thought that the coronavirus would change my eating habits, but my diet has changed for the better now.

From the moment I left campus I felt strange. I had an entire routine while being on campus for the few months that we were there this semester. I would wake up each morning at 7:30am and go to rugby practice. Then I would go to class, and from there, work. Then I would repeat my schedule the next day.

Now, I wake up after noon and spend a lot of time in my room playing video games, trying to find new shows to watch on Netflix and Hulu to pass the time while being stuck in the house. Since the gym is closed, I’ve been working out at home, mainly focusing on body weightlifting. Also, I’m taking care of my body at least three times a week, and doing a little yoga by watching videos on YouTube. Hopefully I’m doing it right, but it also hurts. I didn’t know yoga could make you sweat so much. It’s crazy.

Self-quarantining and social distancing practices during the coronavirus have their advantages and their disadvantages. The pro is that everyone is finally aware of how to maintain cleanliness. Plus, people are finally realizing that being all up in someone’s face and space is not good, because you don’t know what kind of germs they might have.

But despite the stay-at-home orders, many people aren’t taking social distancing seriously at all. People are still making trips to other places that they shouldn’t be going during this terrible time. They should be staying in their homes and taking this seriously. These people think they are untouchable. Many still don’t believe that this virus will affect them. I feel most of my community doesn’t take this seriously, which doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve been in stores where they are allowing people in without even wearing a mask. Some shops don’t even have a sign up requiring them wear a mask before entering. They need to have signs up in every store saying, “NO MASK, NO ENTRANCE.” The only way we are going to get better is by wearing that mask and by washing our hands frequently. We can also do what they did in the European countries to flatten the curve: go on complete lockdown and spray the city, so that we can go back to our lives that we were living before all this happened.