COVID-19 Provides a New Norm In South Georgia
By Michael Pannell
The COVID-19 outbreak has put Americans’ normal lifestyle on hold. South Georgia residents are not immune to the new norm of isolation. Students, people in the workforce and the elderly have all been greatly affected.
Students in the University System of Georgia colleges took the first hit from the coronavirus. On March 16, schools across Georgia announced they would be moving classes to online for the rest of the semester.
Camille Ham is a sophomore student at Valdosta State University, and she is one of many students that are unhappy with the switch.
“It has not been easy,” said Ham. “It is easy to get mixed up having multiple assignments due every day for different classes.”
Ham also mentioned that her and her mother are both immunocompromised, so seeing people ignoring the CDC’s guidelines, which are to stay six feet away from other people and wash your hands regularly to ensure public safety is hard.
Brian Kemp made the move on April 2 to release a stay-at-home order for the state of Georgia. These guidelines include simply staying home and keeping a six foot distance. However, some people are following the CDC’s rules.
Will Ferguson is a resident of Valdosta, Georgia and a recent police academy graduate. When asked why he decided to follow the CDC, Ferguson mentioned he wants the quarantine over “soon as possible.”
“I want to minimize the risk as much as possible as far as me catching the virus and spreading it to my grandparents, who I see every day,” he said.
The elderly are the most at risk group during the coronavirus outbreak. This is why it is so vital to stay at home and protect them.
Connie Pannell is a 71-year-old living in Tifton, Georgia. Due to her vulnerability at her age, she has not left her house in over a month. She relies on others to shop for her groceries.
“My new daughters have been doing my shopping for me, food, household items, and other essentials,” said Pannell. She has strong opinions about seeing people on the news going out in public.
“I think people are not taking it as seriously as they should. It bothers me that people are continuing to live their lives as if a global pandemic is not happening,” said Pannell.
Experts at the CDC fear that as long as people keep living their life like nothing is going on, people will be forced to stay inside and this new norm of isolation will continue.
