Day 134: This Virus is Still Very Real

Day 134: August 7, 2020
Global Cases: 19, 532, 532; Deaths: 723, 184
Egypt Cases: 95, 147; Deaths: 4, 971

Sally Ibrahim Kafshir
Communication and Media Arts Junior

It’s been more than six months since a virus appeared that later on took over the world and was declared a pandemic. Life became hectic and stressful quickly thereafter. Quarantine and staying at home became the routine as masks, gloves, sanitizers and medical alcohol all became household necessities.

However, it was all surreal. No one believed that a virus could do this and could kill people; and so, many people continue to go out whether it is to get necessities or have fun and meet friends. Some wore masks and carried their alcohol and disinfectant sprays with them, while some did not.

By July, when the restrictions were removed, people almost forgot about the virus and continued their lives normally. I had been cautious and did not leave the house without a mask and an alcohol spray but by July, I started to go out to meet my friends and go to all the neglected doctor appointments and checkups. We even went to the North Coast and came back and we were alright since we were being very cautious, with what we touch, eat and even who we meet.

This all changed when my mom one day started feeling sick with some corona-like symptoms. It all started after she went to a doctor’s appointment in an Uber since our car was getting fixed at the workshop, after which her symptoms started appearing. We’re a family of five – my 10-year-old sister, my two brothers, 12 and 18, my mom and I – all living in a small two-bedroom and two-bathroom apartment.

To reduce the spread of the virus, my mom had to isolate herself into one of the rooms and one of the bathrooms was hers only. If she needed to get some food or go to the bathroom, she walks around in her mask and sprayed everything she touched.

My 18-year-old brother had to sleep on the couch every day for the coming two weeks and the rest of us took the other room. Being the oldest, I was in charge of cooking and cleaning every day along with keeping the house stocked with all necessities. My brother and I would both switch days taking our mom to the hospital to take her antibiotic injection since she gets even weaker and more tired after taking it so she cannot drive alone.

That was our life for two weeks. We didn’t inform anyone about our mom and her infection to avoid anyone trying to help and thereby risk spreading the virus to anyone. Those were the most stressful and scariest two weeks of my life; I was worried about my mom, about my siblings and I getting the virus, about my dad who suffers from high blood pressure and is in another country alone and about him stressing himself to the point of suffering from another stroke or tiring himself more then necessary.

Now we know that this virus is very real, and we should be very careful with what we do, where we go and who we meet. You do not know where you can get the virus or from whom. Being very cautious, staying at home or even going out is fine as long as we all wear our masks, and have our sanitizers and alcohol sprays on us at all times.  

 For The Caravan‘s previous diary entries in Arabic and English go to our COVID-19 Special Coverage page.