Who would have thought, a year ago (February 2020), that we would be going through something like this? We had heard about a new virus then, but we didn’t expect it to arrive here. It was someone else’s problem, far from home. We were not familiar with words and expressions such as pandemic, social distancing, lockdown, herd immunity, respirator, self-isolation, asymptomatic, community spread, carrier, contact tracing, flatten the curve, quarantine, screening, and many others. We never thought we would have to cancel trips, parties, family gatherings, or do home office and home schooling. No hugs, no kisses, no physical contact? Unimaginable! Sounds more like science fiction, doesn’t it? A tale by Ray Bradbury, a script by Steven Spielberg, a novel by Stephen King. There was a dramatic turning point a year ago, and we will never go back to that pre-pandemic planet. That’s for sure. I read this world tragedy as a warning, and I wonder if we’ll be up to the new challenges that lie ahead. The one-million-dollar question …
Irene Bianchi for Buenos Aires Times