COVidiot, a term which has been circling around the beaches of Florida, describes a person who does not take the necessary steps in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Although I did not test positive for the virus, the fact that half of my immediate family did, propels me into that category.

When the first positive test results came in from my sister, my mom concluded that we were to all be tested. Unfortunately, no matter what test results the rest of us received, we would be forced into isolation. This meant a total disruption of our lives. Daily tasks in their entirety would have to be done with masks on, rather than the initial CDC (Center for Disease Control) announcement which allowed for mask-free homes. My sister would have to be placed into complete isolation, taking over the master bedroom upstairs. She would only be allowed to meet with the rest of the family outside, with social distancing. Anxiety settled over the household because the day until the rest of the tests was fast approaching.

On the test day, we piled into the car and sped away to Indigo Testing Center. Once we were called back to be tested, we were asked basic health questions and shared stories with the nurse. Having a Q-tip swabbing my nose was quite a bit easier with the kindness that the nurse showed. After we were all tested, our kits were whisked off to the lab and a doctor entered giving us a quick spiel on what to expect. Thus the waiting game began.

Results returned a few days later. The backbone of our family, our mom, had tested positive. She immediately joined my sister in isolation, and I assumed the majority of her roles in the family unit. I was tasked to cook, clean, and pick up our puppy from the breeder. This meant a bit of playing parent. Now of course I was not on my own, but in that time the loneliness felt as if I was. Majority of the day, I was only able to talk to a puppy, who did not understand a single thing I was saying. With a heavy heart of forced reclusiveness, I found myself in a daze. Blasé feelings toward anything and everything emerged, and I just went through the motions without thought.

By the end of two weeks, a sense of normalcy   I longed for nowhere near return. My mom left the house to go move my brother into grad school and my sister left to go back to work. Again, I was left alone with a puppy. At the end of that period, I was glad to have my family back, but was overwhelmed by having people around again.

COVidiot may be a strong term to use for my situation, but the lack of a proper plan of action secured my fate as one. I was not prepared, and definitely did not take the virus seriously. It is a lesson learned, and thankfully one without dire consequences as is the reality with this virus.