Have you ever felt like no matter where you go, you are still exposed? COVID-19, or as everyone knows it, “corona,” has changed the way we live entirely. It started in China with a huge outbreak and easily spread to the West until it was worldwide. The new coronavirus is a potentially deadly virus that is easily spread.

Even with all the precautions we have taken, my family was unlucky enough to get infected. It all started with my Dad getting it in November. He felt really bad and could barely do anything; we kept him quarantined in his room for two weeks, but it spread and got to my Mom. At this point, my whole family was freaking out, so we all went to get tested and thankfully only my Mom was infected this time. 

We were all quarantined and after two weeks we were COVID-19-free — at least that’s what we thought. Winter Break came and my whole family traveled to St. Augustine. When we returned to Miami, we received the bad news: my grandparents had  tested positive for COVID-19. We were worried, so we all got tested. At the time, I tested negative, but my sister had been feeling sick and tested positive. 

I was so scared to get the virus, but I had been spending a lot of time with my sister in St.Augustine and was sharing a room with her there too, so in the back of my head I knew I had it too. A couple of days passed by and I started to feel really sick. I couldn’t get out of bed and I could hardly breathe; I felt so bad that I didn’t even want to eat or do anything. I had another test, and as I expected, the result was positive. No matter how cautious and careful I was, at the end of the day, I still got COVID-19. Luckily, my sister and I are starting to feel a lot better and we should be non-contagious in a couple days. My grandparents are feeling much better, my grandma lost her smell and taste, and so did my grandpa, but they no longer feel sick.

My own experience goes to show that the virus is not a joke, and should never be taken as one. It is important for everyone to take care of themselves and each other, to stop the spread of this awful disease.