How wary should you be of COVID-19?  COVID-19 has been around the world for over a year and spreading fear across the globe.  In the first few months of COVID affecting the US, people were very scared of it and shut down all nonessential businesses, had school close for the remainder of the school year and had people quarantine.  This lasted about four months in Vermont (some states longer, some not as long), and I remember how weird it felt to be out and seeing people after having not for so long.  This “freedom” that people across the US got lasted all summer and ended around mid-November because cases started growing at a rapid rate.  When the second shutdown started, it hit harder than the first one.  More people weren’t following the rules made by the government, and more people were arguing their “rights.”  This has caused people to contract and spread the virus much more than they were in the spring, but people aren’t as scared of it.  This has caused more people to contract the virus and more people die from it.  People are not taking COVID seriously enough, and people are contracting and spreading the virus, causing thousands of people to die. Everyone needs to be more wary of the COVID-19 virus. 

During the first wave of COVID in the US, Vermont had the lowest cases in the country.  We were able to open up without much worry about spreading the virus a ton, with only a couple regulations regarding wearing masks.  Other states (Florida, California, etc.) weren’t so lucky, as the virus spread more rapidly and affected them more.  Because of some states around the country, and people from Vermont traveling or people from those “red states” traveling up here, it spread like a wildfire in early to mid-November.  People weren’t as phased by this as they should have been, and it led to more and more spreading.  When Governor Phil Scott tried to take away the “freedom” that he granted back to the people of Vermont, some Vermonters listened much less than they did in the spring.  People have become less wary of the virus because they couldn’t manage going back into a shutdown for what would have been just a little while.

People may argue against my claim by saying that it’s a hoax or that seeing their families is more important than staying home and being safe to try and stop the spread.  Seeing and being with family is very important, in my opinion, but with everything going on, it is best for everyone to just stay home and wait out the pandemic.  This is hard. I know it took a toll on my family, especially during the holiday months, but we got through it nevertheless.  

After the first wave of COVID in the states that caused much of America to shut down, people started to back down from worrying about the virus.  For example, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis  never re-imposed restrictions on what was allowed and what wasn’t, having to wear masks, and social distancing that would help stop the spread of COVID.  This shows very little worry and urgency to take action to stop the spread of the virus and help make it easier on the US to end the pandemic.  

People are not being nearly as wary about COVID as they should be.  I find it disgusting that people aren’t taking the virus seriously.  I am in a higher-risk group (type 1 diabetes), and I’ve been nervous about it, especially because I have been working throughout the entire pandemic.  The fact that people are just brushing it aside is disturbing for me, and people need to understand how detrimental it is for everyone to help get rid of the virus as fast as possible.  It is a virus, so it can mutate randomly, which can make it much harder to find a cure or even just a vaccine for.  People need to find out more about COVID and think about more than just themselves when it comes to the pandemic.