Negative Effects of COVID-19 in my Life
By Juan Jimenez
The
COVID-19 pandemic has impacted me negatively in many ways. The most negative
challenges for me have been my fear, unemployment, and the cost of living. It
would be very beneficial to know what other people may have experienced and
what they have done to overcome the challenges created by the COVID-19
pandemic. It is also vital to explain what I have been through due to the
coronavirus pandemic. My life is different before and after the pandemic.
First, my
fear of getting infected with the coronavirus was the most terrible part of the
disease. During the pandemic, I had to get used to practicing social
distancing, wearing face masks, and using hand sanitizer. Due to this, I have
learned to protect myself from getting infected with the virus by utilizing
these preventive measures. Nowadays, it is challenging to do all of those
things that I used to do before the pandemic like playing dominoes with my
family and friends, greeting people with hugs and shaking hands, and eating in
the streets with large crowds. The pandemic has not only caused me fear, but it
also caused me anxiety in every aspect of my daily life. Despite my fear, I am
optimistic the pandemic will be over soon and everything will be back to
normal.
Second,
unemployment has been one of the most challenging things I have dealt with
during the pandemic. When it started, I worked in a company that closed like so
many others to avoid spreading the virus. Regardless of my experience as a
health promoter, customer service representative, and the ability to speak
three languages, I have been unable to find a job. Everywhere I went they were
either closed or had reduced their number of employees, making it more
difficult for me to find a job. I have not been able to meet my financial obligations,
which has made me feel depressed. Without a job, no one would lend me money
because I may not have the money to pay it back later. Fortunately, I earn
money from teaching English and Spanish occasionally. Those earnings have
helped me continue my studies.
Third, the cost of living has made my
life more difficult since the pandemic started. Before the pandemic, I provided
for my necessities such as food, rent, electricity, clothing, etc. However, during
the pandemic, prices have increased significantly and continued to grow every
day, which has made it more difficult for me to provide for myself. For
example, pre-pandemic, I was spending 10,000 pesos a month on food; 3,000 pesos
on rent; 500 on electricity; and 3,000 on clothing. Currently, I am spending
20,000 pesos a month on food, 5,000 pesos on rent; 1,000 on electricity; and
6,000 on clothing, which resulted in an increase from 67% to 100%. As can be
easily seen, the pandemic has created an environment that has further limited
my opportunities to meet basic needs.
In conclusion, the coronavirus
pandemic has affected me negatively. Still, I have learned to overcome the fear
of getting infected by utilizing the COVID-19 precautionary measures. I have
also found ways to make nominal income by tutoring to meet my basic needs while
seeking a full-time job. Despite all the negatives that the coronavirus
pandemic has brought into my life, I have survived and moved forward,
overcoming every obstacle by keeping a positive outlook for the future.
San Juan de la
Maguana 2022
