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Writer's picturePhoenix

COVID-19: A Message for Teens

It’s terrifying how the world has been turned upside down by particles that are invisible to the naked eye. Normality has been disrupted and we are submerged into a time of uncertainty and trepidation.


During this grim time it is imperative you stay at home.


Many people are ignorant to the devastating effects of the virus. They do not understand the importance of self isolation. I don’t mean ignorant in a malicious way, many people simply do not understand the necessity of the precautions that we should be taking. They might say “Covid-19 is just similar to the flu, it isn’t that dangerous!” There is some truth to that, however, the coronavirus shouldn’t be subjected to the same attitude as the flu. As humans, we have experienced the flu for hundreds of years, we have some resistance to it. Furthermore, every year many people have a flu vaccine which means that there is a lot of immunity within a community.

With the coronavirus this is different.


This virus is new, something which humans have never come across before. We have no immunity, no vaccines, no cure. It’s frightening.


The virus can affect anyone, any gender, race or age. It does, however, affect the immunocompromised the most. These aren’t just the elderly. The virus can have dire effects on those who are immunosuppressed, cancer survivors, those who have respiratory diseases like asthma for example. These people could be our age and their lives are compromised.


In such a trying time, we should come together and take action. It is imperative that you stay at home and practise social distancing. You have the power to make a difference, choosing to stay at home. As a young person I truly sympathise with you, but sacrifices have to be made to ensure that we don’t unnecessarily risk lives. We have to self isolate to help those who are at risk. We can get through this pandemic - together.

In light of these recent events, I wanted to start this blog, as a way of reaching out to young people, like myself. You are not alone. The world at the moment is daunting and you may feel a sense of helplessness. I empathise with you. There are, however, someways that you can help. If your parents are key workers, they will be under a lot of pressure. Alleviate some of that pressure and do small chores around the house. Look after your younger sibling(s) or help your older ones. If you live near an elderly or immunosuppressed person try to contact them and see if you could help in any way. If they have a dog, offer to walk it, but please remember to wash you hands. Stay in touch with friends and family, check in with them every now and again. These simple tasks may seem trivial, but they will make a huge difference.


So from now on, every week I will share a little bit about what I have done during self isolation. So far I have had 3 and a half weeks of it. It hasn’t been too bad so far, I’ve been trying to stay positive. The majority of the time, I was working on my art portfolio, so I was kept busy. Now that has been handed in and I am trying to find new projects to maintain a sense of motivation. For example, I had many leaflets and tickets left from a holiday 2 years back so I put them all together in a photo montage.


My brother and I decided that my bunk bed was the best place to build a den. We had a movie night in it, setting up speakers and hanging a tablet from the top bunk. We watched the movie Bolt, which I had watched once as a child. It was a good film, very sweet.


The sun is shining, so I have found myself in my garden more often that not, playing tennis or cricket. Tennis balls have ended up in our neighbours gardens! I have also helped my dad in the garden, with weeding. I wouldn’t say it is enjoyable, but it is nice just to let your mind wander while doing a repetitive task.


I’ve talked to friends and family, and it was great just to catch up with them.


It could be helpful to keep a to-do list, even if it is things such as ‘watch this film’ or ‘read a chapter of this book.’ This will help you to remain motivated.


What have you been up to?


Stay at home and stay safe. Prevent the spread of the virus.


Thank you for reading.

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