Covid Culture

 We live in a world where we have access to information from around the world. It is exceptionally easy to see how people in different parts live on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube. While combing these sites during my free time, I am always shocked to see how different covid culture is from state to state. As the football season has started, I attended a game the other day. We wore our masks the entire time and were six feet from the people around us. Later that day, I went on Tik Tok and saw a video from an Alabama game. In this video, no one wore masks, and they were all shoulder to shoulder. This difference shocked me and showed how different state restrictions foster varying perspectives on Covid safety measures. Not wearing a mask and being in close proximity of people in Alabama does not seem to be as rare of a sighting as it is in Lexington..

The service industry and Covid

 I work at a Lexington restaurant and have noticed some interesting interactions between workers enforcing Covid safety procedures and customers. Most customers come into the restaurant with masks and keep them on until they sit down; a select few do not. These people often will be hesitant to put their masks on after you ask and, in a few instances, have refused and required me to get a manager. The people who do end up putting on their masks after hesitating wear them below their nose or pull them off to talk. As someone who wears it my whole shift and has to talk a lot, I completely understand the frustration of wearing them, but I am always surprised by people's resistance, mainly because most of them tend to be older and more at risk. It is a delicate balance to remind these customers of the Covid safety procedures while relying on their tips as a wage. I do not want to upset them and lose money but cannot serve them if they are not complying. I believe these weird instances are mainly due to the stigma of masks infringing on rights, but as someone working in the service industry, I hope people start to understand that we are required to follow the rules and "not kill the messenger." 

Vaccine Trial Part 2

 The second phase of the Covid vaccine trial, I am enrolled in, consisted of administering our own Covid tests. I went to the AMR offices and received my second shot, and they took more of my blood for tests. After they took my blood, a woman came in and taught me how to administer a Covid test on myself. I had inserted the swab myself at a drive-through test site but never sealed and documented it myself without supervision and was slightly nervous. A few days after the appointment, I received a notification informing me it was time to take my Covid test. They required I take one at night and one the next morning and then drop them off at the office before 10 am. When taking the night test, I made my roommate film me to document the process and included it in this blog. Both tests went smoothly, and I dropped them off in a box that stated on the front, "Urine and Blood tests only, no money.". I now do monthly Covid tests with the same procedure and go into the office for routine blood tests. 

Unequal opportunity for learning during Covid

 In my opinion, it would be benighted to think that online education has provided an equal opportunity for all students. I remember distinctly in high school sitting in the library with kids who used the library computers to do homework because they did not have one at home. Another example is a friend of mine at the University of Kentucky who will sometimes need to use my computer when their computer breaks, and they are unable to buy a new one due to lack of money. Considering these two examples is why there should be a hardship clause for students impacted by Covid because many students relied on being able to go to in person classes or facilities with computers and no longer have that option due to Covid. There is a lack of communication between professors and students in online courses to inform them of these problems because there are so many students to one teacher. It would be hard to implement an utterly fair program, but a program with some holes is better than none. Online learning has also opened up the education system to increased cheating. It is naive to believe everyone will be trustworthy, and because of this, many students resort to cheating instead of learning the material. Due to the lack of accountability and knowledge of how the education system is during this time, I believe it will make me less competitive in the job market. I am nervous it will reduce my school achievements because they were accomplished during a pandemic and, therefore, a time of little regulation and accountability.

UK Core Issue: How Do We distribute Covid Vaccines

 I would distribute Covid vaccines by having a specific spot such as a school or pharmacy for each surrounding neighborhood. I would also make the vaccine available at primary physician offices so someone can receive a vaccine while going to the doctor for another reason. They would set up appointments online, so not too many people would be in an area at once. I would provide extensive information and hire volunteers to answer questions on the vaccine so people can learn and calm any fears they may have. If there were only enough for a third of the population, I would prioritize older and immune-deficient people that Covid affects the most. This is because it is more dangerous for them to contract Covid than healthy and younger population members. I would ensure this by having the primary care physicians of at-risk patients inform them of the vaccine, why they should receive this, and the steps they can take to receive it. I believe this to be a realistic option because they are the ones with their records and contact information. Transportation to the facilities would have to be considered, and so that why having many facilities in a neighborhood area would help solve this problem. Another contextual factor would be the vaccine's price. If someone cannot afford it, creating payment plans that only cost them a small amount each month could help until it is paid off, also working alongside insurance companies to make sure the vaccine would be covered. 

Social media and COVID

 With classes online, they can seem very impersonal, boring, and detached from the usual learning experience. I remember the days of walking to a class sitting next to someone I knew or did not know, and exchanging in small talk. I miss these days, but as pop culture likes to call it, zoom university has created a platform for all new kinds of jokes and pranks to post on social media. The video I included is from TikTok and is based on a trend where a student's friends would sneak into their room while in class with the camera on and kidnap them to trick their teachers and fellow students. This trend happened internationally as everyone on TikTok and zoom classes decided to participate in the prank. While slightly disruptive, I found this idea hilarious and that it created some lightheartedness and positivity in zoom classes. A more serious example of how Covid has affected social media is the pressure to only post things that are covid friendly. On social media, I see a wave of criticism from viewers when a person posts videos or photos of a party or social gathering where no one was wearing masks. As I scroll through Instagram and other social media, it is more usual to see people's photos with masks on than without. This would have been a very strange occurrence to see a year ago and shows how fast pop culture has adapted to the pandemic. I have included a photo of the University of Kentucky Dance team, where you will now only see posts of them with masks on. This is an example of how different programs use social media to enforce covid safety measures and make it feel familiar to their viewers. 

Why so political?

 I have a distinct memory of going through twitter this summer and seeing liked tweets from a friend of mine about how COVID was fake and wearing a mask infringed on his freedom. This person also liked tweets about how stupid people were for being scared of COVID. I was offended because my family was one of those "stupid" people scared of COVID. I was deeply confused about how a worldwide pandemic had become something you could take a political side on. I don't like to blindly side on a topic because I have noticed as I grow up, my opinions change as I do. After seeing that many people thought the same way as my friend, I began to question my views and then educate myself on this opposite view and only came up frustrated. I understood where my friend came from, especially as someone who invests in the stock market but could not grasp my head around certain aspects such as not wearing a mask. I was extra aggravated as I learned the extent a mask could help someone like my dad, who is immune deficient, and , in my opinion, a mask is a small price to pay to help others' safety. As I continue to understand this divide on COVID, it becomes apparent that people use information that supports their opinions, which we see on many politically divided topics. I found it fascinating when someone walked into a store; I was in wearing a mask that stated," I am forced to wear this". They seemed to love the attention it gave them and at least they were following the rules and wearing a mask. It is sad that we are divided instead of united to recover from COVID, but I believe this says a lot about human nature and the United States' political system. I have included an article that discusses how COVID has picked up a liberal bias because it elaborates on this political divide that I believe will be analyzed down the road.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/opinion/trump-covid-experts.html

Social distancing and Greek life

There seems to be a correlation between positive cases and Greek life on campuses. Many people on social media such as Tik Tok have pointed out this theme, and everyone who is not part of it seems to be annoyed by it. I am not in Greek life, so I only have an outside view but am basing this blog off of what I have heard and seen. Included in this blog is a screenshot from The University of Kentucky President explaining Phase 2 of testing only people in greek life because they contained a higher percentage of positive COVID19 cases. There has been a lack of social distancing with people belonging to greek life at the University of Kentucky, especially over the past couple of weeks as they try to recruit others to join. Most of the people in greek life, I believe since a large percentage of people in greek life have had  COVID19 they think they're safe from getting it again. I am not sure if these gatherings will end once they have finished recruiting, but from an outside view, it is interesting to see people believe the rules do not apply to them, which I believe is due to this group mentality. Sororities and Fraternities consist of a large group, and so this creates a crowd behavior that normalizes behaviors an individual would likely restrain from. For example, when they participate in a party for their sorority or fraternity, it's the whole group that mostly gets punished. Meanwhile, other parties that are not associated with a group blame the individual instead of an entire group. It is also acceptable in these groups to have parties further normalizing this behavior because their fellow members are participating in the same actions. I believe this gives them a sense of anonymity and increases the likelihood of participating in large gatherings. Greek life can be an excellent way to get involved on campus but fosters some behaviors that do not coincide with being a responsible adult. 

Staying Informed

 At the beginning of the COVID pandemic in the United States, I would get on my news apps such as The Washington Post, New York Times, The Atlantic, and many others every morning. I was trying to find out as much information from as many sources possible to receive the most unbiased information. I continue to do this, but now, sadly, I keep updated with information directly affecting me besides what I learn in my classes. The University of Kentucky has now released a dashboard updating the number of cases. This is now how I get most of my information while being on campus because it affects me directly. It is beneficial to see how many cases are on campus and how the University of Kentucky handles them. With this said, many people are going untested, and some measures taken by the University of Kentucky, such as the daily wellness screening, seem to go through the motions but lack effectiveness, in my opinion. Now that I am in classes again and have less time, I do not have the time to go on various news platforms to educate myself. All the information we receive has to be analyzed for validity because of contradicting information and different interpretations of the released statistics. The worst part about getting information on COVID19 is that we cannot rely on our President to help us deceiver what is true and not because he is also contributing to the false information and advice. One example of this is when he suggested injecting disinfectants to combat COVID19, which could result in serious health risks. I have included the video because it perfectly shows how careful we need to be about believing the information we receive even from someone who should be a credible source. I am lucky enough to have family members who also comb the internet for the most accurate information, and continuously I receive a link to articles or texts to inform me of things about COVID I should be aware of.

covid-19-data-dashboard

Will we stay on campus?

Since the start of school on August 17th, 2020, my fear/outlook of COVID-19 has changed dramatically. The best way to describe my feelings toward this pandemic, and the rest of this semester is optimistic. After many friends tested positive COVID-19, they all quarantined, so they did not infect others and recovered quickly. The only problem is there is so much unknown. After they have recovered, many students now have a sense of invincibility and no longer choose to take safety measures such as avoid being in large groups. I feel these feelings of invincibility will only increase, and the fear of COVID-19 among young adults will decrease as many students see their friends recover quickly without many implications. With Halloween and other events nearing, I fear it will only get worse. Even though this could be the case, I am still optimistic that the university will stay open until the rest of the semester as it is still socially frowned upon to be in a large gathering and not to wear a mask deterring many students from participating in these behaviors. With this said, I have run into many frustrating situations where I have had to leave a location because of people not socially distancing or wearing a mask in places such as the library and other public areas on campus. There have been multiple instances I know of where a neighbor will anonymously report a large gathering of people not wearing masks on their street. It seems the status quo is still luckily to take the pandemic seriously, which furthers my optimism. The last aspect hindering my complete optimism is greek life and the lack of social distancing in these groups. Measures have been taken to test members of these groups and crackdown on not socially distancing events. I believe the University of Kentucky is handling the situations to the best of their abilities, and we will continue to remain on campus. 

An interesting way to make money during a pandemic

 Do desperate times call for desperate measures? Yes, but I have discovered during this pandemic, desperate times can also lead to new opportunities. For me, this was enrolling in a clinical trial vaccine for COVID19. I found out about this clinical trial through my professor and decided to enroll. I am a healthy twenty-year-old and want to help in the process of making a vaccine, but for complete transparency, I was motivated by the possibility of making some money. It all began when my professor sent an email about the trial, and spontaneously I decided to sign up. I called my dad right after being that he is well educated on such topics. He thought it was a great idea and wished he could do it. On the other hand, my mother and sister begged me not to do it, and my sister even suggested my hair might fall out, which concerned me for a second because I have a very bumpy skull, but I quickly realized she had no evidence to back up this statement. I promptly got a call from someone at AMR(Alliance for Multispecialty Research), and they asked me a multitude of questions about my health and then informed me I was a perfect candidate. I scheduled an appointment and didn't think much of it until the morning of my appointment. Again with the transparency, I was terrified and felt like a lab rat, but when I arrived, I was quickly soothed by a lovely nurse. My calmed nerves were then quickly disrupted when I was given a twenty-four-page contact explaining the trial, possible side effects, and what was expected of me. At this point, they took my vitals, and I was almost kicked out of the trial for having too high of a heartbeat. I explained I was just nervous and eventually got it down. I was further calmed as I read and began to understand the importance of what I was doing and that the side effects were not significantly different than getting a flu vaccine. The doctor in charge of the trial, further explained things, and helped me understand the science behind it, which made me feel even better. The trial is a double-blind, so neither the doctor nor I would know what I received. I could have either been given a placebo or a vaccine at different potencies. The worst part about the whole event was getting my blood drawn and feeling pretty dizzy after. They also tested me for COVID19, which is never a fun process. After all that was done, I was given a debit card with $125 on it, which would increase with each visit and instructions on how to use an app that would track any symptoms I might have. Since this visit, I take my temperature each day and fill out a diary on my symptoms, which has been none. I have another visit in a week and will continue to discuss my experiences with this clinical trial. 

Introduction

 Hello, my name is Elisabeth Lauren Winfield, but I go by Elsie. I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, until 2008, when my family moved to Lexington, Kentucky.  The picture included is with my family. I am second from the right. I am a white female from a middle-class family and have been lucky to have a relatively smooth sailing life. 

Being that this is a diary on the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, let's jump into why I used the word "relatively" in the past sentence and how this pandemic has affected my family's life in a different way than most. The week before Thanksgiving in 2018, my Dad had a seizure, and we discovered he had a brain tumor. He decided to get treated in Houston, Texas, and it turned out the tumor was a result of stage four brain cancer known as Glioblastoma. He had surgery, received radiation treatments, and has been on chemotherapy for the past year. Due to my Dad's compromised immune system from these treatments when SARS-CoV2 became an increasing worry in the United States, I took it more serious than my other college friends because even in the early stages we had been warned about COVID-19's effects on the elderly and immune-compromised such as my Dad. 

While since the beginning it has weighed heavily on my mind, I had not felt the immediate effect of COVID-19 until beginning classes in August 2020 when my boyfriend who lives in a fraternity house on UK's campus lost his taste and smell leading me, my roommate and the select others we had all been in contact with to think of how we will handle having COVID-19. My roommate and I quarantined immediately, and luckily I had not seen my parents or anyone else. On the other hand, my boyfriend experienced a less enjoyable experience because of the University of Kentucky and his fraternity. When a resident of the fraternity house tested positive he remained in the house and it took them many days to test the house after announcing they would. When they did test them, it was out of the back of a car with all the boys in one area. While I had not experienced this first hand, I was astonished to hear of someone I care about experiencing something he could have avoided if they would allowed the residents of this Fraternity house to get out of their leases easier. Especially, because they had signed the lease the fall of 2019 before COVID-19 existed so prevalent in our lives. 

These experiences are some I have never experienced in my short life of twenty years, but I have noticed it has been a growing experience especially for us who don't want to compromise our loved one's lives and put their health and safety above our wants as a young adult.