Coronacation

COV-19 was introduced in Walhun, China in December. The case was originally reported to be associated with exposure, but the greater majority like to continue to believe it was due to an individual that ate a bat. The reason that the virus takes such a toll on the human respiratory system is because it is a disease originated within animals. Only weeks later was it reported that the world was up to a total of 9976 cases in at least 21 countries, including the United States, on January 30, 2020. As investigation and research has taken place in order to pinpoint the epidemiologic and clinical features of the illness, as well as the spectrum of what’s to come in the future. In the mean time, it seems that for the first time in “Modern History”, the entire world is at a pause.

When dissecting the constraints of Corona, I decided to identify the End User (Society), Production (Hospitals), and the Designer (Government). As 80 million Americans remain self isolated, schools remain closed, and almost all corporations have turned to Wifi as their savior, the world sits in front of the news waiting to see a glimmer of hope that change is taking place. The main conflict in the disease is the fact that it takes two weeks for symptoms to show. All of us two weeks ago could not have prepared for the extreme measures the CDC has placed on society, and now… two weeks later… hospitals are close to full capacity. We live in a world where it is necessary to always expect the unexpected and it seems that with test, supply, and space shortages, we cannot catch up in time. Trump calls the “China Virus”, which he claims is both accurate and stigmatizing, as a racial tool against a nation that has faced devastation and economic problems that could face the United States.

I think by now we are all familiar with the idea of boredom. Naturally, with self isolation and the constraint of freedom to move and lack of space, there is a sense that the deep motivating power of boredom could change the way our society walks out of this quarantine. Looking at the news it is visible that humans are continuing to find ways to make the best of the situation at hand. Social Media has allowed Universities to revert to Zoom and Google Hangout to still learn as a community and expand upon ideas on the virus’ impact on every aspect of the world. Drive by birthday parties, singing from roofs, and Boston performing “Sweet Caroline” are all instances of creative communication that we have never seen before. On instagram, Bucknell students have continued to challenge eachother to do ten pushups and nominate another, draw your best orange, eat a banana and nominate or “tag” someone else to, although we are constrained we have continued to innovate new ways to defeat boredom.