This past year has been incredibly tough on everyone, with the coronavirus pandemic affecting our day-to-day lives. People across the world have lost their jobs, homes or lives due to this deadly virus and the consequences of it spreading at the large scale it has.

With how badly coronavirus has ravaged the lives of everybody across the world, I am appalled to see how selfish some people are being right now.

Every time I check social media, I see celebrities and influencers traveling all around the world. I see photos of them walking around without masks. I see videos of them at large parties.

It’s frustrating, especially when the photos and videos are of celebrities that I admire. It is angering to see how disconnected from reality they are that they act as if their money and fame can protect them from a deadly virus.

This frustration is not just held toward celebrities, because I have seen my own friends, family, classmates, etc. act completely recklessly and irresponsibly during this pandemic. It is so disappointing to see the same people preaching that this virus should be taken seriously be the very people who are not taking it seriously.

Since the pandemic has started, I have heard countless stories about the ways people I know and their loved ones have been affected by coronavirus. It is horrible to hear about all the pain and death in the lives of people I care about the most. While those people are being affected by the virus, we have this other group of people who act as if they are invincible.

The harsh truth, however, is that nobody is invincible. Nobody is immune to this virus. I have heard of people who were not immunocompromised or anything but when they got the virus, it affected them so badly that they still have long-term health problems. I would not want that to happen to anybody I care about.

I saw this piece of advice online: If we want this pandemic to come to an end, we all have to act as if we are immunocompromised. By doing so, we can protect ourselves and those around us, especially those who are immunocompromised.

If we want this pandemic to end, we all need to be doing more to make sure we can reach some sense of normalcy. If you are tired of the regulations set to protect us from COVID-19, act responsibly. Then, when all this ends, you can do all the traveling and partying that you want.

Kyara Morales-Rodriguez is a junior English major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].