Editorial

Covid Pandemic has problems for everyone

By Tim Denisenko, sophomore.

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken the lives of millions across the world and shifted society on an unprecedented magnitude. In addition to the health risk posed by the virus to communities across the world, It introduced with it a plethora of issues to people coming from all walks of life. Healthcare workers are working tirelessly to aid those in need of medical care while abiding by strict health policies. Inessa Denisenko, a nurse at Meritus Medical Center, stated that ¨The pandemic completely changed the atmosphere of the workplace and made it much more stressful, along with that we had to wear an n-95 mask at all times and follow much stricter health policies.¨. Andrew Denisenko is a Geisinger medical student currently going through his clinical rotations. He stated ¨It has affected the way I do my job by introducing delays and cancellations. A lot of scheduled medical procedures and surgeries were cancelled, and responsibilities were shuffled around. For example, I’m expected to administer vaccines on days when I would typically be operating.¨. With the recent emphasis on preventing the spread of the virus as well as its treatment, medical workers bear not only their original responsibilities , but also the duty to fight the impact of Covid-19 on our communities.

The profound effect of the pandemic is not only limited to working adults, but also adolescents attending high school. The Waynesboro Area Senior High School has been in operation since late August. Since then, it has faced 2 shutdowns which have been accommodated for with the use of remote learning practices as well as multiple schooling options such as traditional, hybrid, and at home approaches. The implementation of remote learning and health policies within schools have been met with mixed reactions. Cody Souders, a sophomore, stated ¨It has made online work much easier and more common so everything is just quicker and more convenient.¨. Aaron Whitney, sophomore , stated that ¨There were no benefits at all, it negatively impacted my school work.¨. With the ongoing shutdowns and quarantines in response to the occurrence of positive covid cases, many schools have utilized software like Google Meets and Zoom to hold virtual classes and meetings.

The implementation of new teleconferencing methods is not only limited to high schools, ¨Some big benefits are more efficient communications. There are more meetings now because people have embraced zoom and other forms of teleconferencing. I think this is something that will stick around afterwards since it just makes bringing people together easy and convenient.¨ is a statement made by Andrew Denisenko in response to an inquiry about the apparent benefits of the pandemic. As for his opinion regarding the long term effects of the pandemic he went on to state ¨In the long term, I think society will probably adopt more efficient forms of communication and conferencing, and keep certain functions in the virtual realm. I also think that long term, this may result in better planning and responses to future mass contagion events. Hopefully, this will increase medical development and research as society sees how important it is in dealing with these kinds of things.¨.

Despite its detrimental effects on communities as well as its strain on healthcare institutions and many others, the coronavirus pandemic introduced a necessity for change in many aspects of day to day life. Along with the mandates of mask wearing and social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus, the presence of such a virus has influenced people to utilize technology in order to carry on certain day to day functions. The necessity to quarantine has also introduced valuable experiences to all kinds of people. When asked about what he would tell future generations about his experiences from the pandemic, Cody Souder states ¨I will tell them that although it wasn’t good during the time, myself and many others learned a lot during that time and it taught many important lessons.¨. Aaron Whitney responded with ¨I don't know, that it sucked?¨. This seemingly bleak pandemic has served as a catalyst for what might be a change for the better in regards to efficiency in education and work, as well as the preparedness of the healthcare system for any threats that loom ahead.