Surviving COVID-19

Being Alone Was the Best COVID-19 Medicine

By: John Rinaldo

Narrated by: Emily Franke

Are you an Avengers fan? Let me rephrase this question: Are you a fan of Thanos? I believed Thanos was the only one who possessed the power to erase half the population of the Earth by snapping his fingers. Unfortunately, I was mistaken. The outbreak of this highly contagious virus proved me wrong.

I love when someone proves me wrong. It brings me back to reality and makes me realize I still have a lot to learn. However, this time I was extremely disappointed. Scared, in fact. I had never witnessed such a panic on a global scale. Every country restricted access to their land. Though no official statements were released initially, the chaos made it clear that we were heading toward a global crisis. What kind of crisis? I couldn't really figure it out at that time, but definitely one that our government wasn’t prepared for. Actually, one that no country was prepared for. It literally crippled the economic growth of our country.

Even natural disasters have been unable to cause mass destruction of this magnitude. Though this virus did not affect the infrastructure of our country, it had worse targets: humans. The rapid rise in the number of deaths left everyone dumbstruck. Nausea, vomiting, headaches, and fever seemed like regular flu symptoms until scientists identified them to be symptoms of the novel Coronavirus.

By God's grace, my family and I did manage to survive this battle. However, I did lose some really close friends. They were only in their early 30s, but you know what they say: Those who give up their willpower lose everything in life. One of my friends fought a very tough battle, but he lost all hope of recovery. That's where he lost his battle and let the virus feed on his immune system.

I, too, fell prey to this virus. Fortunately, I came out stronger and couldn't have made it without the support of my family and friends.

Are you ready to begin this journey with me?

©2022 John Rinaldo (P)2022 John Rinaldo