The Pandemic Panic
Born and raised in Bhutan, I am a father, a husband, a son, and a business owner currently living in Dallas Fort Worth. For me, 2020 has been one of the most alarming moments in my life. I have come to fear this pandemic because of the rapid spread and the lack of treatment available. The scientific forecasts and hospitalization of new Covid-19 cases each day on the news tormented me for a while. The thought of this cruel virus affecting the family’s health has haunted me endlessly. As a business owner, I must shut down my businesses for several weeks which created a huge amount of financial loss. During this time huge protocols were placed by the government to try and decrease the cases of the virus as much as possible, but the cases are still skyrocketing. Amidst of pandemic, on May 25th, 2020 there was a protest all over the United States of America on George Floyd’s death. The protest turned out to be very violent which increased the amount of covid-19 cases at large.
Life during the pandemic was precarious, there was not much to do because of the safety precaution we have to take into consideration. For the safety and the protection of my family, I could not attend my job and provide support services to the immigrants like me. In addition to this, I am not being able to put an appearance at my job so everything is done virtually. My clients have a difficult time as some of them got laid off from their jobs and some of them are not qualified for Unemployment Insurance Benefits. Due to the unemployment issues, many of my clients are not able to pay their bills on time. Thank God once the first stimulus package and unemployment insurance benefits arrived families are eased to some extent. The pandemic has really shattered and devasted the lives of many families loved ones. Had it been normal many families would be busy working.
A busy man such as me never had enough time to spend with my family but this quarantine really helped me keep my loved ones closer. I spent a very productive time with my family apart from the fear. The Pandemic taught important lessons in the community that includes health safety, personal hygiene, cautiousness, social distancing, and following safety procedures. Along with this, the community learned to adapt during this challenging time. Years from now when I look back at this time, I would think of recession towards the country economy, the downfall of businesses, and financial crisis.
Due to the arrival of promising vaccines, I believe that our lives will be better than they were before. Family, friends, relatives, and neighbors will not have to be afraid to see or visit each other again. These better days will hopefully boom businesses and make economic growth of the country as before. Definitively the big round of applause goes to the scientists and pharmaceutical companies who brought the vaccine in this short period of time.
