Weite a Diary entry to express your file-
-lings on not being able to attend school
during this pandemic
Answers
. candidate at the Law School and an M.S. Ed in Ed. Policy candidate at the Graduate School of Education, is a Perry World House Graduate Associate.
As is true for most people in the world, the emergence of COVID-19 has brought out emotions in waves. In January, I viewed the virus as nothing more than an unfortunate but minor inconvenience that would require precautions similar to those for the flu. Soon, in February once the lethal severity and virality of the disease had been better established, my stance turned to concern, not for myself but for the most vulnerable—the elderly, immune-compromised, and those with comorbidities. March evoked feelings of annoyance and uncertainty, as Penn recalled our legal pro-bono trip from Brazil two days earlier than expected and then proceeded to switch the rest of our semester to virtual instruction.
In the two months since, I’ve tried to establish a new normal while engaging in a great deal of internal and external reflection about the drivers and lived-impact of this disease. Such reflection has returned me to the sobering reality that the severity of COVID-19 in the United States is primarily determined by privilege.
Since March, nearly every leader in government, business, and society has preached social distancing. Touted as one of the most effective measures of “flattening the curve,” social distancing has been heralded as a first line-defense in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Yet, upon reflection, this simple directive is riddled with assumptions – the first being that all citizens are physically able to social distance.