I would not argue that Covid-19 has been a good thing knowing that so many have lost loved ones, and the slowdown in the economy has left thousands upon thousands jobless and stressed. The Coronavirus pandemic will definitely leave a mark in our history, a page in future textbooks, but I do believe it has its own break in the clouds and blue sky.

Currently, healthcare professionals are working tirelessly on the frontline, and the biotechnology industry is researching, testing, and reworking to find the most effective vaccine to bring everything back to normal. The biotech company Moderna has currently developed a vaccine that is 94.1% effective. That is remarkable! It hasn’t even been a year since the first diagnosis in the United States and we already are that close to a vaccine! In contrast, researchers first started working on the vaccine for Polio in the 1930’s, but it wasn’t until 1953 for it to finally be effective. People everywhere are definitely grateful for resolute and unwearied healthcare workers, including all those treating those affected with Covid-19 and other medical conditions, to the innovative minds finding the vaccine. There has been more gratitude and respect for teachers and administrators along with healthcare professionals too!

Along the lines of gratitude many around the country, even the world, are finding more reasons to be grateful amidst the pandemic. I asked a few students and teachers at Mountain View High School and found that they are extremely grateful to be able to come to school. That is a blessing for us that we may not have really recognized before. For some the Coronavirus has brought a new light on things that were once done without thinking twice.

For most of the world, everyone has probably experienced a “pandemic lock down” within the past year and a half. Many were encouraged, while some relatively forced, to stay within their homes and only come into close contact with those of the same household. People across the world have responded to this in different ways. For some it caused anxiety, depression, and a lot of pain. For others these “lockdowns” encouraged them to remember what and who really matters the most. I now hold onto these things a little tighter.

In closing, the Coronavirus pandemic has been hard for all, but especially hard for some– those who lost family or friends, those without jobs, those working from shift to shift, those with anxiety and/or depression, and many more. We can let this pandemic and its effects teach us to look for those with the most weight on their shoulders, be a little more grateful for the things we do have, for the opportunity to go to school or attend online, and be a little more conscious and forgiving. Even with all the bad, all the cancellations and losses, we can learn from everything 2020 has brought.