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.