Just like a picture says a thousand words, so do the faces of millions of people around the world. The faces I see on the news depict the doubtful and melancholic souls thousands of people can relate to. 

What started as a joke for many in the U.S. has become one of the things everyone fears. Not only has the Coronavirus affected my life, but most importantly, it has affected the lives of hard-working individuals. 

For the most part, my family stays home as much as possible unless it’s for work or going to the supermarket; this soon will end when the stay-at-home order goes into effect. My father works as a landscaper and my mother works as a cleaning lady, so with Governor Desantis’ order, they will have to stop working. Although my family is affected because of all this, I still consider us lucky people. We still have plenty of food and water to keep us alive and healthy, and even if we have to stay at home, I’d rather be bored in my room than putting myself and my family at risk of one of the deadliest viruses in the world. 

It has come to the point where every day I wake up to call my dad, and he informs me of the new stats he saw on the news before going to work. He tells me, “Se está poniendo peor hija. Necesitas quedarte en casa,” or, “It’s getting worse, daughter. You need to stay at home.” Every day, he tells me it’s getting worse and all I hope is that one day he calls me to say it’s getting better. 

Being in my last year of high school, I sympathize with every other senior who is miserable about never getting to attend their Gradbash, prom, or even graduation. I always dreamed of going to my graduation and finally saying, “I did it!” Although it’s a special moment for many of us, the most heartbreaking part of all this isn’t about us seniors, it’s about the thousands of doctors, nurses, paramedics, scientists, and others who are risking their lives trying to treat those infected and hoping to find a cure. With less protective equipment available for these people, they have to accept having to reuse the same masks and gowns just to keep themselves and their families safe. 

As for me and my family, we are taking the steps needed to keep ourselves safe, and I hope everyone else is too to keep COVID from spreading and hopefully soon seeing a light amongst this darkness.