SARS-CoV-2

April 20th (Miami, FL) - Daily exercise.

April 17th (Miami, FL) - All around the world, children are on the lookout for hidden stuffed animals and dolls. According to The New York Times , “the teddy bear hunt” is how some families are spending their time during the coronavirus pandemic. This game has now spread to at least 13 countries and all 50 states. Here are a few from my neighborhood.

April 4th (Miami, FL) - Individuals exiting their homes are recommended wear a mask or cloth over their face. Though stay at home orders are in affect all across the country, people still go outside for exercise.

March 26 (Miami, FL) - My dad is 65 and is significantly immunocompromised. He has been experiencing a cough for a short while now and decided to get himself tested. He suited up in all the protective gear he could find around the house and set off to our local testing site. Results should be back within a week.

March 25 (Miami, FL) - Malls like South Miami’s Sunset Mall are empty. Some stores are shut temporarily while others are out of business permanently due to the absent customer population. Usually packed parking lots are also vacant.

March 23 (Miami, FL) - A.C., a local celebrity in Miami, has always sold frozen lemonade out of his truck at Kennedy Park. For the past 40 years, he has been able to reliably provide these drinks to park goers, but after Kennedy Park closed to prevent the spread of the virus, A.C. had to relocate.

March 22 (Miami, FL) - Parks all around the country are beginning to shutdown in efforts to prevent further spread of the novel corona virus.

March 21 (Miami, FL) - Restaurants are now take-out or delivery only. My family ordered Papa Johns tonight and we made sure to sanitize the boxes before anyone of us touched them with our barehands.

March 19 (Miami, FL) - Miami Beach has cordoned off its beaches in an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus. Florida has mobilized the National Guard to help set up testing sites throughout the state.

March 17 (Miami, FL) - Florida held its presidential primary elections. Due to the ever increasing threat of COVID-19, safety precautions were instituted, but they were not enough to convince the public to go out and vote. Polling places were sparsely populated and voter turnout was historically low.

March 15 (Miami, FL) - My sister and I went to Publix today to buy some groceries.

March 14 (O’Hare International Airport) - Much has changed. The coronavirus has spread to all corners of the Earth and is now officially a pandemic. Schools are shutdown, international travel is banned, and individuals are recommended to “social distance” as much as possible. Details of the virus are still not known by the public, but the number of infections and deaths are growing faster and faster. I am heading home to quarantine with my family in Miami.

February 12 (Chicago, IL)- In early February 2020, Li Wenliang died from complications caused by coronavirus. Having been one of the first to raise media attention about the novel virus, his death sent shockwaves of grief and rage rippling throughout the Chinese public. His government’s inaction to his concerns is what ultimately lead to his and other deaths.