Essay: A Personal Account of a Hospital Visit During COVID-19

This essay recounts a student's experience during a hospital visit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The narrative begins with the student's grandfather falling ill with a cold and fever, prompting a visit to the hospital. The essay vividly describes the atmosphere of the hospital, including the anxious faces of patients, the sounds of coughing, and the heightened awareness of the virus. The student reflects on the questions asked by the staff regarding travel history and the overall impact of the pandemic on daily life. The essay also provides a detailed description of the surroundings, including the view from the hospital window, the serene natural environment, and the student's personal reflections on the fragility of human existence. The student's grandfather's words about the power of nature are highlighted, adding a philosophical dimension to the personal account. The essay concludes with a poignant moment of connection between the student and their grandfather.

ENGLISH

Title: Hospital Building (Used from the picture)
My grandfather always used to tell me that “Humanity is not as powerful as nature,”
and the present times have proven them right. In midst of the Coronavirus pandemic crisis, I
realised how vulnerable the existence of humans is.
“Stay in line,” the receptionist said, as we went for check-up of my grandfather. He
has been suffering from cold and fever since last 3 days. But this time, the most often
considered “mild illness” is not seeming the same in midst of the rising public health crisis,
not only in Australia but throughout the world. I looked at the people standing in the line, and
most of them were either elderly themselves or the ones accompanying elderly or the kids.
The sounds of coughing were a common factor among almost everyone in the room and often
sounded like a human voice jamming. I remember the news channels broadcasting the
messages saying that these two age groups are at more risk. I could see an anxious look at
everyone’s face, as I tried to hide mine with the help of a chewing gum in mouth. While I
could control my facial expressions, I could not control my wandering mind and anxious
thoughts.
As we moved forward in the line, the staff called us at the desk and filled the
preliminary details of my grandfather. After a few basic questions of age and other details,
the man on the other side of the counter asked, “Any records of recent travel history overseas,
Sir?” My grandfather replied in a dull voice, “No, not at all.” The man again asked, “Any
travel history among your family members?” This time, my grandfather in an attempt to rely
even more quickly coughed and held by hand and said, “Not by any means Sir!” I held my
grandfather’s hand and tried to calm him down as he coughed thrice. With the coughing, I
could see the slight change in the expressions in the eyes of the parents, who were there with
the kids. I had never heard such questions in the hospitals ever before, and that made me
realise that the pandemic has reached our city as well and is getting more and more serious
day by day. We filled in the detail, paid the fees and collected the receipt. We were then
guided by the staff from a lobby to a room where my grandfather would have his blood
tested. “Sir, this way please,” a sweet polite voice guided my grandfather to the right small
room which had mentioned “Keep Silence” in bold red letters on the door. I was made to wait
on the waiting chairs outside, as he went inside with a medical staff.
I breathed anxiously and looked to my right and left with a hope to find something or
someone to look at that could distract me from repetitive thoughts. I laid my eyes on the

window nearby to my left. I tried to tilt my head to more the left and hoping my vision to get
past an almost 6 feet guy, who was standing ahead of the window and was blocking my view.
Sadly, I could not, as the guy was not only tall, but well-built as well. I stood up and walked
towards the window as the view and smell outside the hospital window are any day better
than that inside. I lay my eyes on the tallest tree on the left of the garden covered with lush
green grass. I could see the squirrels playing happily, climbing the tree up and down under a
clear bright sky. The sky was clear because of the lesser pollution in the city in the last few
days owing to lesser traffic, as I had heard most of the business organisations have given
work from home to the employees. The air felt fresh and cool, and the sky crisp blue. The
view was nothing short of perfect scenery, with the bright spring hues, as we would imagine
while drawing in the middle school classes. Never in last few years, had I seen such bright
colours. The lesser sounds of car honking on the roads and airplanes roaring in the sky added
to the serenity of the view. I got reminded of my grandfather’s saying, “Nature is any day
capable of taking a break, and the natural disasters are nothing short of the warnings.”
Those words seemed much more meaningful like never before. As I was mesmerised
in my thoughts, I felt a soft tap on my right shoulder. I turned back and saw my grandfather
standing. I smiled at him and said, “You are always right Grandpa.”