Children (Tori Geldner)
Fact-Checked Source: Cook S. John N. Roth E. "What living through a Pandemic is like for Kids."
On March 20, 2020, children told their perspectives on the coronavirus.What Living through a Pandemic is like for Kids.Five Facts Checked:
In order to take a closer look at this source, we're going to investigate the statements made in the article.Statement 1:
And that’s why I’m worried about her because she is really old and she could get really sick.Many have heard that older people are more at risk for coronavirus, like Naima here who is worried about her older grandmother. It's true, according to the CDC, older people are in fact more at risk for the disease.
Statement 2:
I thought it was just another type of cold or something.The coronavirus is certainly more severe than the common cold, according to Health, colds don't result in any serious health issues like pneumonia, bacterial infections, or death.
Statement 3:
You probably couldn’t imagine how many times people constantly tell me, “Wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and stay away from people who look sick or are coughing.This is excellent advice, the CDC says that washing hands removes germs and that touching your face means that germs can get into your body through the eyes, nose,, or mouth.
Statement 4:
Also, can you spread it by tears?Certainly something I hadn't thought about, but there is a low risk of spreading coronavirus through your tears according to Science Daily. The infected person would have had to have an infected eye, also known as pink eye, in order to be able to spread the disease through tears.
Statement 5:
Then my mom told us that we should be more careful about washing our hands and other stuff we’re supposed to do anyway, and I thought, “Still just a minor disease.”This is something many people have thought about coronavirus, according to LiveScience, however, the coronavirus is not something to laugh at. For every person that catches coronavirus, they then infect 2.2 people compared to the flu's 1.3. Coronavirus also has a higher mortality rate at 2.3%, the flu's is .1% in the U.S.
Analytic Essay
Although this perspective may not hold a lot of weight fact-wise, their opinions greatly shape the world and how people view it. Children across the world are currently being quarantined during the coronavirus pandemic. This event will shape how they view the world around them and will affect how they will live their lives and make decisions later on. Just like how children of the depression were taught to hide money, we will see a change in action for this generation. Despite what many say that children do not understand what is happening in the world right now, children are well aware and understanding the pandemic.One example of a child very aware of everything that is happening in the world is nine year old Naima John, who said, "She’s my great-grandma and she is 104, which is kind of crazy. And that’s why I’m worried about her because she is really old and she could get really sick." She has clearly been told that older people are more at risk at for coronavirus and immediately thought about her grandma. Her connection to the fact that her grandma is older means she is very well aware of everything that is happening in the world right now.
Nine year old Eliza Roth also realized the potential dangers of coronavirus, she said to her mom, "This was NOT just a minor disease anymore." Eliza is correct, coronavirus is highly infectious and has a high mortality rate, especially in older people. When the coronavirus was just starting off, many people believed it was just a minor disease like the flu, which Eliza most likely had been told. Later, when the coronavirus reached the U.S. and schools began to close, Eliza was aware of how the disease went from something nobody was worried about to a global pandemic that will affect the entirety of the world. Later on she also says, "My dad told me that people in the future would learn about the coronavirus in school. For some reason that made me think of Anne Frank. Then a thought hit me like a dodgeball. Anne Frank died." Eliza relates history to the pandemic, a new point of view that many adults have even hinted it. It also showed how Eliza knows how dangerous the coronavirus is, even for her.
One dad, Jorge Ramos, thinks we should learn from children, saying, "The truth, however, is that Carlota’s generation is much better prepared than ours to face months of isolation." He says Carlota is adapting well to quarantine while he struggles, she is able to get online with her friends and play games, watch movies, and chat. Ramos says her whole world can be found online, her friends, her schooling, and her entertainment. Carlota is able to adapt to the quarantine in a heartbeat, something many adults are struggling to do.
Children from around the world have also been expressing their views on coronavirus through drawings or paintings. Children have been drawing the coronavirus in jail, telling it to go away, drawing it outside their house or even just drawing it as a giant germ. These drawings are particularly interesting in how children view the pandemic because they cannot tell it go away in real life, so they do so on paper. These drawings are those of the younger children, ones who might not have the same vocabulary to describe how they feel about coronavirus like that of a nine year old. Drawing the virus outside of their home is an interesting look into the child's perspective, they have been told they have to stay home, so they see the virus as being trapped outside of their house, unable to get in as their family goes about their daily lives inside the house. They are aware that being inside will keep the virus out.
Children from around the world are well aware of the dangers of quarantine. Whether it be that they must wash their hands more often, that others are at risk for getting the disease, or even that they themselves might get coronavirus, children know what is happening and are adapting to this new lifestyle. It is essential for every person to listen to the thoughts of the children around them and get their opinions as the pandemic progresses. Children are aware that this situation is dangerous and being open will only help them. After all, they are everyone's future.