In March 2020, tragedy struck the world. Doctors, nurses, health care workers, and first responders all over the world started the fight of their lives. They continue to fight and protect to this day.
When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, a worldwide lockdown began, a lockdown for
everyone but the frontline workers.
“When COVID first started my mom worked in the designated COVID unit a lot,” senior Aniyah Bethea said, “Since it’s gotten a lot worse, they’ve needed more nurses as many of them have been getting exposed and quarantined.”
Many families have taken extra precautions during these hard times. Some of the smallest things have made the biggest difference to keep their families safe.
“My dad wears a mask as many people do, washes his hands as much as possible, and takes a shower immediately after he gets home from work,” freshman Colbin Luallen said.
For months now, many frontline workers have been away from home fighting the pandemic and keeping their families safe.
“We’ve given up going out to eat and we avoid crowds and large gatherings to avoid the risk of exposure as other families do,” sophomore Ridgely Ehrlich said.
Families have not only been fighting a physical battle, but a mental one as well.
“With multiple sports getting canceled and being quarantined multiple times, it has been mentally challenging on my family and I’s mental health,” Luallen said.
The risk of exposure is almost inevitable to frontline workers, so keeping both their patients and families safe is a number one priority.
“My mom is a registered nurse in the operating room. One day during the summer she got infected by one of her patients and then brought it home to me,” sophomore Tessa Johnston said.
Over the Thanksgiving break, many family members stayed home to keep other relatives safe.
“We rarely leave the house at all, we rarely get to visit family at all, my mom just stays home so she doesn’t expose any of our loved ones,” Bethea said.
“As for extra precautions, my parents and I aren’t seeing our friends very much anymore because we have a lot of high-risk people in our family,” junior Brooklyn Castillo said.
With vaccines now on the near horizon, senior Dacia McGuire’s dad is working front and center to support the vaccine supply chain.
“My dad is a pharmaceutical microbiologist who’s the Global Quality Director of Fagron Sterile Services,” McGuire said, “He leads the operation and has currently passed phase 3 of trial testing that he and his company has developed.”
Right now, frontline workers are at the forefront of the coronavirus battle, but they’ve been fighting this battle for months now and their strength has not gone unnoticed.
“I’d just like to say thank you to my mom for being so brave and such a hero in such an
unexpected time,” Bethea said.
To all the frontline workers, the Spotlight Staff commends your dedication and perseverance during this pandemic. We wish you the best, and hope that 2021 brings a better situation.
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