It has been a year since COVID-19 first impacted and changed the lives of people. In the Grayslake community, lives have changed throughout this pandemic. People have taken the chance to work on their own and others’ health. 

This pandemic has changed several people mentally, physically, and emotionally, and all have learned to adapt to the change, but others are not taking it so seriously. People that don’t take it seriously use this opportunity to cope with the change that has happened. Those that take it seriously are doing their part in keeping others and themselves safe. There are different techniques that people use to cope during this difficult time.

“It is very important to stay positive through this difficult time,” said social worker Joe Alger. “I’d encourage each of us to focus on what we do have and to allow ourselves to feel gratitude.”

Because people do cope differently, others chose to spend time with friends in big gatherings, which causes a large spread of positive COVID cases. Even though social gatherings are necessary for people’s need for social interaction with friends and family, COVID is at its highest.

 “I wish I could tell those people who don’t take COVID seriously to honestly get a reality check. By not taking it seriously, you’re not only putting yourself at risk, but putting everyone around you at risk, and some of those people may not be healthy enough to be able to make it through it,” said senior Michelle Szul.

This pandemic has changed people mentally, positively and negatively.

“The positive impacts of COVID, I’d look to the increased time with family and the benefits of reducing our lives to the bare minimum. As we’ve had to put aside so many of the elements of our previous routines, I think many of us see differently how important our connections to one another are. We are finding new ways to connect that we can look to maintain and may decide that some of what seemed important or essential before is no longer necessary,” Alger said. 

This pandemic has given people in this community a positive reality check and also given them the time to work on themselves and spend more quality time with loved ones and value the relationships they have with people.

 “One positive from COVID I can think of is that people have realized just how important it is to take care of yourself and spend time with your loved ones while you can,” Szul said.

The impacts of COVID have changed people for the better. This pandemic put everyone’s lives on hold, no sports, in-person learning, social gatherings; events that were taken for granted now are wanted more than ever.

 “I’ve missed out on my senior year because of COVID, which has honestly been hard since there were so many events I could have attended with friends,” Szul said.