I remember sitting watching a movie with my family a few days ago and my parents for the duration of it were going through the mortality rates caused by the corona virus for every country. It feels as if it has taken over the internet; the BBC even has a whole new section on its website dedicated to COVID-19. Although it is important to stay educated on this important matter, I feel that we are slowly letting it take over our lives. Even now in quarantine it still feels that it's all around us and it's all everyone is talking about.

 

But what about the good news going on? The media tends to prefer saddening news with horror gripping titles to get us to read certain articles, which leaves information out there to consist of only the worse. But in these times, there has been a lot of positive events and changes too. People quarantine themselves has allowed nature to recover: the skies in Beijing are blue due to decreases in carbon emissions, fish are appearing in the Venice rivers again, deer and sheep are starting to be seen roaming around towns and cities due to the lack of people outside.

 

Although this pandemic is heart-breaking, I believe it can sometimes take a catastrophe to bring people together. Whether this be everyone clapping and thanking the NHS one evening, supermarkets dedicated opening hours for NHS workers or advances in the medical field such as testing of different vaccines, there is so much to looks forwards to rather than to fear.

 

Acts of kindness and humanity are washed away by a wave of panic and fear of uncertainty. But it is important to recognise them. To go and look for them. Zoos and Museums have online tours of their exhibits now, children are putting rainbows on their windows that others in the neighbourhood than copy, and more foster animals are being taken in by shelter. We still take these acts and this news as a new sign of hope, instead of striding on with fear.

 

By Charlotte D'Angelo