When Covid-19 officially became a pandemic in the United States I didn't think I wouldn't be as bad as everybody says it is. When I turn on the t.v. all I heard was about how covid-19 has affected more than one hundred thousand people in the U.S. alone. According to the website worldometer there are more than two hundred thousand cases in the U.S. and rising. Even with the stay at home rule people are continually neglecting guidelines and are at a risk of contaming themselves and spreading the virus and making the situation worse. According to an NBC article In Florida officials are taking precautions on their beaches by not allowing anybody to have a group larger than ten people. Some beaches, however, have been closed to prevent the virus from spreading further.

Most of the country has been shut down especially places where there are large gatherings. While I was looking at Cnn for insight on what it is like to be infected and quarantine with the virus, I came across a video of a man who tested positive for the coronavirus. In the video Clay Bentley was turned away from the hospital after being tested negative towards the flu; however, after feeling worse he went back to the hospital and tested positive for the coronavirus. He then spends his time in the hospital trying to fight off the virus. He also states his wife has been quarantined at home and is unsure if she has been affected as well. After watching the video I was inspired to create a comic strip with a clear message to warn people to not to take this virus lightly and to follow guidelines. In the first panel I tried to draw the main character walking around in a mall which is a crowded place.

When I was listening to the interview with Clay Bentley he said he believed he picked up the virus in a church which is also a crowded place. According to one of the guidelines people should avoid social gatherings. In the second panel it shows the main character ignoring any warnings and all of the guidelines. Some people in America are still refusing to follow any of the guidelines or take any precautions. According to the vox article people are still gathering around beaches in Florida ignoring any if not all guidelines.

The third panel was when the main character came down with the symptoms and felt shocked to know she was infected with the virus. When I was reading an article from washington post a man named Ritchie Torres who tested positive for coronavirus said “It is psychologically unsettling to know I am carrying a virus that could harm my loved ones.” The fourth panel was showing the main character thinking about her actions towards Covid-19 ,and how she should have taken it seriously. Many other articles I read also states many who tested positive for Covid-19 asked people to stay home. Finally the last panel shows the main character succumbing to the virus and regrets not taking the virus seriously and not following the guidelines. In the end my message to the audience would be to take this pandemic seriously and follow the guidelines.