Coronavirus Update - Grant Sommers

Unfortunately, due the circumstances surrounding the coronavirus epidemic, I discontinued work with my office in the European Parliament. Therefore, I do not have much of an update regarding coronavirus and my workplace communication because my workplace communications have thus far ceased. However, I will use this time to reflect and provide an update on how the coronavirus has affected my return to the United States and readjustment.

It is hard for me to believe that it has been a full month since flying home from Europe. One month also constituted ½ of the time spent in Europe (which sounds crazy to me, because the month spent here at home feels so much shorter than the first or seconds months in Brussels). Since coming home, time seems to be flying by even faster than when I was in Brussels. From experience, weeks in Brussels sometimes went by REALLY slow, in a good way :), mainly because I was constantly doing something. However, despite time seeming to move a little faster at home (especially despite there being less to do at home), my life has been completely transformed due to the coronavirus.

It was not until I returned home that I felt any major tangible changes in my daily life as a result of coronavirus. Sure, the Parliament had sanitizer stations at entrances and there were some changes beginning there, but overall changes to my daily life started upon my return to the US. It was when I got home that I noticed constant fear amid the whole population that I could actually feel, stores and businesses were closed, I began to see average people wearing masks, both my mom and dad were working from home (their presence definitely took some getting used to), and I could not see hardly any of my friends. In Europe, even at the very end, despite some smaller crowds, I did not pick up on much fear, despite the serious situation in close-by Italy. In fact, I was even talking to a business owner in Amsterdam the day before I left, and she was telling me how she did not feel any panic from her, her family, or customers unlike what she has seen about the United States in the news.

Perhaps the changes that I noticed upon my return I would have noticed in Europe had I stayed around a little longer. But, nonetheless, from personal correspondence, person to person discussion, and from the media I could see that the reaction to the coronavirus in the United States differed heavily than from that of Europe.

Also, I live in New York State, which is the most heavily hit state in the Union, and the hotspot for coronavirus cases now in the world. So, it is very likely that my experience returning home may have been different than from that of someone going to somewhere less affected. However, now, if I just want to go to the park and walk around, I have to wear a mask and stay a considerable distance from anyone who may be accompanying me. Something small I am willing to do to keep myself and my older family members safe.