Teens and Coronavirus: "Now that I have to be at home, I miss school."

We asked teens to share how Coronavirus has impacted their daily lives. Supreeti Patra, a student at Rancho Milpitas Middle School in Milpitas, shares her take.

“Truth or dare?” Meera asked.

“Truth.” I replied.

“Ok. What is one thing that you would want to do now?”

“Curl up in my bed, stay home for the rest of life, eat, drink,  and study in the bedroom. It would be the best not getting out of the house ever again,” I replied, laughing.

Looking back at this memory, I wish I hadn’t said that. I wish I was more content, happier through all those experiences and fun times I had with friends. Due to the fast-spreading Covid-19, a Coronavirus, the entire school district has been shut down for the past [6] weeks. Recently, we received news of it being closed until May 1, 2020. This pandemic has reached a stage where the whole county is forced to stay at home.

It’s weird how I’ve always wanted to be at home and have the option of never going out again. As soon as I had this opportunity, I was upset. There is a psychological fact that states that when you wish for something a lot, it comes true. I wished way too much and way too often. Like I am stuck at home for the next month, and I can’t even meet my friends.

Whenever I was at school, I wished to go home. Now that I have to be at home I miss school. Some say that we always have an urgency to do something we are restricted to do. Aren’t rules made to be broken? During this time, breaking a rule would be a huge mistake and may endanger many lives.

I recently realized that the smallest things can cause major problems in people’s lives. Virus is an organism that, even after being so small, can cause thousands of deaths. I personally learned that things can be dangerous and toxic even if they are small.

The spread of this virus taught me an important lesson and gave me an insight into the real importance of the hygiene rules that have been created ages ago developed in our Indian customs and rituals.

Lastly, everyone needs to remember to take adequate care of one’s body.

With a perspective, I’m Supreeti Patra.

Supreeti Patra is an eighth grader at Rancho Milpitas Middle School in Milpitas, California.