The day was November 19, 2019. The day might not remind us of much, but it would be remembered as the day that a pandemic that took over the world began its journey. The Coronavirus, or Covid-19 if you would like, is a flu based virus that originated in China. The virus became incredibly dangerous after it managed to reach all over the world. The governments from all over the world began to shut down and suggested that people began living in their homes until the pandemic died down. This led to many losing their jobs, because their work required them to go out, and many restaurants went as well with a lack of customers. Because of all this, our stock market went down to its lowest ever since the great depression. But even though we have been through the virus, there are many things that we may never get the chance to witness ever again. First, we all got much closer to our friends and family, nature improved, and we all learned the importance of good hygiene.

Our families and friends are perhaps the most important thing to our personal lives. We all love them and cherish them, and stick together when we can. With the Coronavirus taking over, it would soon become obvious that we wouldn’t be able to see them for a while until the virus had slowed down drastically. However, now we all can call each other via services such as zoom or Webex. We have something we can all relate to, something we can joke about, and with everyone online, we can have fun all together. This event gave us to try something new and interesting for a change. We all got closer together and we might have even made new friends. For the first time in a while, we all were in something together. 

    The second good thing to come out of the Coronavirus is a healthier planet. One year ago, India was a smoggy, polluted area, due to the huge amount of vehicles in the country. However, now with Social Distancing at play, the country now is full of blue skies, with no less than 2 or 3 cars on the road. To be specific, across the world, it is said that pollution has dropped by 30-50% percent. On top of that, in Venice, Dolphins have returned with a lack of visitors and boats. The world now has a chance to heal itself after years of pollution and intoxication. This is wonderful news, and once the virus is over, I doubt that the level of pollution will be as bad as it used to be pre-Coronavirus. So nature is doing better, but what about us? Well it turns out that the Coronavirus has also taught us more about us, and the importance of hygiene.

    Hygiene is one of the most important things that we need to have in our lives. Hygiene is, according to Google Dictionary, “conditions or practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness.” In this time of crisis, we were told to wash our hands thoroughly for a good 20 seconds. Before this, many didn’t bother too much about hygiene, and only thought of it as something you would do only when you got back from home or when you were done using the bathroom, but now everyone knows the level of importance that hygiene has in our lives. 

    The Coronavirus has taken hold of our daily lives, and has taken the lives of many across the world. Many have lost their jobs, and some are taking advantage of this pandemic. However, in even the most difficult of times, we can not lose our heart. We must remain positive and happy. We should always look for the best things while we have the chance. I hope that these three examples help you keep your head high during these difficult times.

​

Due to the concerns over the spread of the Coronavirus, the Troop is suspending all activities starting March 12 through March 31 . This includes all Troop meetings, campouts, and other activities. 

Here are some tips from the CDC to keep safe from the virus:
Practice good hygiene

• Stop handshaking – use other non contact methods of greeting
• Clean hands at the door and schedule regular hand washing reminders by email
• Create habits and reminders to avoid touching their faces and cover coughs and sneezes
• Disinfect surfaces like doorknobs, tables, desks, and handrails regularly
• Increase ventilation by opening windows or adjusting air conditioning

Stay home if…

•  They are feeling sick
• They have a sick family member in their home

DO THE FIVE...
Help stop coronavirus
1  HANDS Wash them often
2 ELBOW Cough into it
3 FACE Don't touch it
4 FEET Stay more than 3ft apart
5 FEEL sick? Stay home