There have been many changes to our lives since to Covid-19. Among these are the need to wear masks, social distancing rules, distance learning, and a lot of time lost with friends and extended family.

Some changes people have experienced are within themselves. Many have been impacted emotionally and mentally by COVID-19, in ways that they will remember for a long time. Sophomore Kira Baker said, “Definitely the emotion and experience from COVID-19. Everyone is going through it and this experience will affect everyone for the rest of their lives, either negatively or positively. Either way, we won’t forget anytime soon.”

COVID-19 has also set many precedents. For example, countries around the world have instituted shut-downs that have crippled their economies. Financial experts warn that recessions are in the horizon. Experts say that the virus will continue to spread until there are enough people infected that it cannot find new hosts. This concept is called herd immunity. The experts at the Mayo Clinic say, “Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.” Herd immunity, however, is not an excuse for communities to ignore the threat of rising case numbers. If the virus spreads too quickly, hospitals will be overwhelmed. This is the tricky problem that governments around the world are trying to manage—slowing speed of spread without shutting down their economies entirely. With countries opening up from their shutdowns, we are now seeing a second surge in case, which may lead to more shutdowns.

COVID-19 has also forced many of us to be more vigilant about our sanitary practices. Frequent hand washing and avoiding touching one’s face have become constant reminder in our everyday life. Sophomore Ha’e Kahana said, “I think the changes that will be long lasting is people being more aware of themselves and their surroundings.” With reports of death and hospitalizations, many of us have become more fearful. As sophomore Azure Watson puts it, “This can affect how activities that used to be normal are carried out. I feel that people will be more fearful after COVID is gone and [become] more cautious. This may affect how precautions are taken when and if a new disease arrives.”

With the middle and high school beginning a concurrent in-person schedule on September 24, HBA students are experiencing a new wave of changes as they return to the classroom two days a week. While the plan is to remain in this schedule till winter break, plans beyond that are up in the air. However, many experts believe that things like mask-wearing and social distancing are here to stay for the long haul.