Hello, every one,
Last year, we did not have Summer Courses at Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, UASD because of the COVID-19. This year we did and my students and I wrote about the pandemic. I made a list of 40 subjects related to it and chose one. Then, I asked each of them to choose the one he or she liked best. As usual, we did research and brought all the information we had collected to the videoconferences. After that, we followed the writing process for each paragraph. The result was a five-paragraph essay. The following are three of the papers written during Summer 2021 in my English Composition I class.
I Got Infected By The
COVID-19
By Rafael
Paulino Peguero
I got infected by one of the most powerful
and deadly diseases of the last decades, the COVID-19 virus. This set of
information is important because I explain in details the process that I went
through, and readers may identify and act rapidly if they feel the symptoms
related to the virus. Furthermore, readers may have an idea of what to do in
case they get infected, and be able to take all the safety measures on time not
to let the disease develop.
Before getting infected, I had been taking
many precautions since Corona virus is a very powerful and contagious pulmonary
infection which has killed millions of people around the glove, and I was
really afraid of it. Therefore, I was really careful and I did everything it
took not to get infected. I bought tons of sanitizing products and medications
to keep my immunology system up. Also, when going out to streets, I always did
social distancing and wore a mask at a full time. However, no matter how hard I
tried, I ended up with the virus.
It all began when my wife got very sick;
she had fever, a little cough and a headache. First, we thought it was only the
flu, but two days later, I started to feel those symptoms but worse than my
wife. At that time, I also had lost my sense of smell and taste. After three
days with those obvious indicators of Corona Virus, my little son started to
feel the same way. The next day, the rapid Covid-19 team came to our house and
we all tested positive. From that day on, we started our quarantine and avoided
going out unless necessary. Fourteen days later, we finally tested negative and
after that difficult time, we survived to the virus.
As a result of the Covid-19, the sequels
were so devastating for me that I felt like if I had the virus even after
testing negative. Although my wife was also affected by this virus, she got
better within a few days. In contrast, I experienced post Covid-19 symptoms.
These symptoms were sort of returning health problems that lasted about four
weeks to disappear. For example, I used to feel shortness of breath, fatigue,
chest and muscle pain, dizziness, etc., but the worst symptom was the change in
smell and taste after those senses came back. It was so frustrating that after
three month of testing negative, I still had problems identifying some aromas;
some seemed to be as if they were ammonia which is a very annoying smell. The
long term effects after the virus were very harmful for me.
In conclusion, trying to keep away from the virus was the first thing I did; nevertheless, I ended up getting infected and once the virus was on me, I had so many complications; therefore, Corona virus made me feel very frightened because I thought I was going to die, but fortunately, I could overcome it because I took all the necessary precautions not to let the infection take the control. That was the only way I managed to survive.
Santo Domingo 2021
Doctors Work in
the Covid-19 Pandemic
By Josmary Diaz
Doctors form an essential part of an effective response in the Covid-19 pandemic. They have critical roles in diagnosis, containment and treatment despite the increase of personal risks. In addition, they are always ready to help no matter the kind of care people need. The Healthcare workplace has been challenged, especially for the workers. However, even when this emergency puts all the pressure on doctors, they continue their labor.
First, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the duties and functions of doctors. As soon as they receive a person suspected of Covid-19, they put in practice the new protocols provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). First, they have to do a Covid-19 test to detect the disease before administering medication. If confirmed with the virus infection, they must administer medication. They then have to follow up with the progress of the patient and keep the sanitation procedure regularly. Doctors need to apply special skills that most of them developed within the pandemic. In addition, they must keep a record of the people who were in direct contact with the patient. Their duties include double time work periods with different tasks, which also include keeping the patient family up to date with their progress.
Apart from what has been said, working conditions in the Covid-19 pandemic impact on doctors’ health. Poor working environment affect doctors physically and emotionally. Health workers are exposed to significant risks because of inadequate working conditions, which also puts their own families at risk. Facing this health emergency with poor conditions due lack of bio-safe equipment does not affect all the countries the same manner. The health system has economic problems and deficiencies in infrastructure. It is necessary to make administrative and organizational changes to have a quality system. To improve and have a better work place, the health department needs to invest in public health, infrastructure, and more equipment.
Above all, doctors have an important role in the prevention of Covid-19. They call people to take measures such as washing their hands regularly with soap and water, avoiding touching their faces, covering their mouth and noses, and maintaining at least one meter of distance among them. It is safer to evade indoor spaces as much as possible and stay at home in order to take precaution. Apart from these measures, vaccines have been authorized and considered to be used for prevention. However, this does not mean that people have to lower their guards. To fight this virus, it is crucial to follow all hygiene rules and reduce the possibility of exposure.
In conclusion, working conditions have a big impact on the doctors due to the deficiencies the health system and infrastructure may have. Healthcare workers duties during the pandemic have multiplied because of the additional work required to control the disease. One of the most important roles of doctors in the course of Covid-19 pandemic is to prevent the expansion of the virus by letting people know the guidelines for taking safety measures against the virus. Therefore, doctors are encouraged to meet the demand for medical aid in this pandemic. They have made sacrifice and so much is own to them because they are heroes.
Barahona 2021
Face Masks During Covid-19 Pandemic
By
Danilo Mejía Mena
Face
masks have become the most important tool to stop the Covid-19 pandemic although
they have advantages and disadvantages. The function of a face mask is to
prevent the spread of the chain of contagion among people. Even though face
masks could avoid getting infected, there are a lot of people who disagree.
That is why some people say that a face mask is not comfortable enough to wear
during a whole day. Another fact that makes people doubt is the difficulty to
breathe while wearing a face mask. In contrast, some people think that wearing
a face mask during the Covid-19 pandemic is a necessity.
First
of all, there are many types of face masks to wear during this pandemic. Those
types of masks are different and made with different materials. That is why
they receive different names. For example, Bandanas are worn when people do not
have any face masks at home, but the KN95 face mask is the most recommended to
wear, and it is mandatory to wear any kind of mask to protect ourselves and other
people. So that wearing any kind of face mask will help to stop the Covid-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, wearing a face mask can
cause trouble to the person who is wearing it for a long term. The most people
breathe while wearing a face mask, the most they produce CO₂. That is why, when
people are talking, singing, or exercising, they do not need to wear them. Some
of the health problems are headache, irritation, acne, and dermatitis. Headaches are
produced by the attachment of the band around people’s heads. The most common
illness that affects people who have sensitive skin is dermatitis as a result
of reusing a mask. Also, people’s eyes can be affected by the hot air that escapes
from a mask into their eyes. For example, a worker who wears a tight face mask
can collapse in a hot climate. It causes heat stress and psychological stress,
too. In fact, after accumulating CO₂, human beings can feel dizzy or get
intoxicated. If some people maintain their faces covered to avoid risks, they will
probably not get infected by wearing a face mask during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In
addition, wearing a face mask prevents people to get infected by Covid-19. Some
benefits of wearing a face mask are evaluated by scientists who keep studying
about how convenient to wear a mask is. When people are wearing their face masks,
they are protecting themselves and those people around them. Face masks create
a barrier to prevent people’s respiratory droplets from reaching others. Many
studies show that nations that follow authority instructions have been
decreasing their percentage of death caused by the desease. For example, The
Dominican Republic has been decreasing the number of dead people since last
semester as a result of responsible citizens collaborating by wearing face
masks and getting vaccinated. The benefit is not individual. That is why it is
important to wear a mask at any time or everywhere individuals go. Another
example is if someone needs to travel by public transportation and notice that
there is a person who is sneezing or coughing, that person will not worry about
it because he or she is wearing a mask. People can decide what type of face
mask they want to wear. Face masks are the most economic strategy to fight
against the Covid-19 pandemic.
In
summary, many types of face masks have been worn to avoid the Covid-19 pandemic,
but many believe that people should not wear a face mask for a long term.
However, wearing a face mask will benefit all people around the world. Although
face masks are uncomfortable, people must wear them to stop the Covid-19 pandemic.
Santo Domingo
2021
