The 2020 global pandemic has taken the world by storm as it continues to impact thousands of lives each day. As of now there have been 908,713 confirmed cases and 17,475 deaths in California alone. Covid 19 is a form of coronavirus, a respiratory disease with common symptoms of fever, cough, difficulty breathing, and muscle aches. In the United States of America, many are enduring difficult times due to the uncertainty of how the virus could affect themselves and loved ones.

   During the beginning of the pandemic, Denise Ramirez, a local Brentwood resident, came down with the virus not knowing Covid 19 would later become such a large issue in the US. Since her self quarantine back in March, eating out or traveling with family still makes her anxious. As regulations start to loosen, Ramirez is still paranoid each day for the safety of herself and her family.

   “Just the thought of wondering if everybody was protecting themselves even if they had Covid symptoms they did not know about made me very nervous,” claimed Ramirez.

   On July 4th, parents of Emanuel Quinones (10) went to Los Angeles to celebrate the holiday, but were unaware that the family they were visiting had Covid 19. After they came home to their children, Covid 19 spread throughout their entire family. Quinones’s family only suffered minor symptoms, but found issues with the testing process for Coronavirus.

   “We went to multiple different places to get testing and we did not get the testing back till far after we were done with Covid,” stated Quinones.

     After attending a trip to Lake Tahoe with friends, Alexandria Stambuk’s (11) father contracted Covid 19, leading to very harsh symptoms. He almost had to be hospitalized because of how difficult it was for him to breathe. From her father’s struggles due to not wearing a mask, Stambuk understood how much it can hurt someone, including their loved ones.

   “It’s ignorance, they see it as a choice, it’s my decision if I want to keep other people safe or not and I really do not not think it should come down to that,” said Stambuk.

   Contra Costa County has reached over 18,877 confirmed cases including 243 deaths and the spread of Covid 19 all across the world continues to increase by thousands each day. Although restrictions have loosened, be sure to continue to wear a mask and follow safety guidelines to keep you and your community protected during these uncertain times.