CMNS 1110 Assignment: Reflective Journal on COVID-19 Pandemic

This reflective journal documents a student's personal experiences and reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic over five days. The journal begins with the initial news of the virus, detailing the student's shock and anxiety as they followed news reports and images from China. It progresses to the student's growing awareness of the virus's symptoms, transmission, and the resulting changes in their daily life, including social distancing and family concerns. The journal then explores the lack of a vaccine, the importance of a stable health system, and the global impact of travel restrictions. The student also describes their strategies for managing stress, relying on verified news sources, and supporting their family. The journal includes references to news sources and research papers, providing a comprehensive view of the pandemic's personal and global impact.

Reflective journal
Name
ID
Course
Unit
Lecture
Date

Day 1
This was the first day I heard of corona virus patient reported in Wuhan, China. CNN was the
one airing the news. At first, I was not sure of this virus and I was anxiously waiting for the CNN
to elaborate more about it. I always depend on CNN for news update since their information is
reliable and trustworthy. From the pictures I was seeing from China, the disease was so scary
that it was changing the people’s normal life. The corona virus was spreading faster and many
deaths registered within a short while. I felt shocked since people were wearing mask on their
faces and protective gear while serving the patient. I thought the world would end if the virus
continued to spread that fast. These are some of the pictures I saw that shocked me.
The image is according to Everett et al, (2020).

The image is according to Chinazzi et al, (2020).
Day two
On this day, I was keen on the signs and symptoms of this disease as explained. Apart from
that, I wanted to know the way this disease spread from one person to another. The
information had a great impact on me and other family members. One thing that I could realize
that from then going forward it would not be business as usual. We had to change the way we
operate as a family. One of the methods the disease was spreading was through handshakes and
close contact. I started avoiding friends to ensure social distance. As a family and society at
large, everyone was in panic and fear. No one was ready to get close to unknown individuals for
the fear of getting the virus. An example announcements on billboards and new way of life.

The image is according to Atkeson, (2020).
Day three
This the day when I started thinking why this disease could not have a vaccine. However, one of
the things that surprised me was that despite COVID 19 raiding developed countries like
America, these people have not found the vaccine for the same. It meant that no one could seek
medical service in another country, every country was on its own. I learnt that, countries can
improve their health system given that they can handle COVID 19 patients.

Day four.
The pandemic was getting worse across the world according to Kvalsvig et al, (2020). From
what I have learnt through this pandemic, stable health system is necessary for every country.
The countries which had weak health system got it rough. Many countries had banned traveling.
It could mean that citizens who were seeking services from other countries could no longer make
it. Stable health system is important now and in future since countries would now be able to deal
with any emergency. Consequently, one thing that made me happy is that I could spend with my
families despite the threats and negativity online.
Day five
There were more worries and stress among the family members. However, one of the ways I was
using to manage the stress was to reduce the amount of negative news online. As an individual I
was only depending on ministry of health for updates. I also educated family members to avoid
fear and only depend on verified news. The move was bearing fruit since members of our family
started forgetting the pandemic and doing their daily chores. There are some few links I used for
news and I have included them on the references. The reason was that the source was verified
and reliable.

References
Atkeson, A. (2020). What will be the economic impact of COVID-19 in the US? Rough estimates
of disease scenarios (No. w26867). National Bureau of Economic Research.
Chinazzi, M., Davis, J. T., Ajelli, M., Gioannini, C., Litvinova, M., Merler, S., ... & Viboud, C.
(2020). The effect of travel restrictions on the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus
(COVID-19) outbreak. Science.
Everett, J. A., Colombatto, C., Chituc, V., Brady, W. J., & Crockett, M. (2020). The
effectiveness of moral messages on public health behavioral intentions during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Kvalsvig, A., Barnard, L. T., Gray, L., Wilson, N., & Baker, M. (2020). Supporting the COVID-
19 pandemic response: Surveillance and Outbreak Analytics.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/31/health/what-is-coronavirus-covid-19-wellness/index.html
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/12/asia/china-coronavirus-research-restrictions-intl-hnk/index.html