Freedom Child

The View from UK

Manchester: Ghost Town. Photo – manchestereveningnews.co.uk

By Anya Foster

What has our world come to? It’s crazy to think that only a few months ago, we were all allowed outside, and we were able to roam freely. But now, we aren’t even allowed to leave the house. This has taken a toll on many of us, and the vast majority of people are now stuck in a prison-like house.

Not being able to leave the house to see my friends has had a huge impact on me because I’m very close to them and they’re pretty much family. Seeing the same room day in and day out is enough to drive anyone crazy, but we’ve got a job to do, to keep everyone safe. Even though I’m tired of being stuck at home, my heart breaks knowing that there are people who are unable to go out food shopping, and the homeless who are unable to be in quarantine.

With everyone panic buying products, the elderly are unable to obtain the basic necessities to live on. Those who don’t have much money are unable to provide for their families due to the high prices of basic necessities as extortionists prey on people’s misery. It’s utterly heart-breaking to hear about the number of deaths rising every day.

Being in lockdown is going to challenge everyone both mentally and physically, but I believe that if we all work together and stay inside, we can beat the virus. However, people are still going outside and this is why the virus is spreading. If we had stricter laws in place, less people would be going outside which will stop the spread and lower the death toll.

Just over a month ago, I was going outside almost every day and going out to concerts. What is happening to our world? Little did I know that the last time I went shopping with my mum was actually going to be the last time going out for months. People doing everything they can to stay inside will make a huge difference to stopping the spread of the virus, which is bound to happen. Though everyone is trapped and we’re slowly suffocating in our own homes, freedom will soon come.

I’m Anya Foster, I’ve just turned fifteen, I live with my older brother and my mum, I’m from Yorkshire.

Silent Adolescence

By Anthony Foster

I’m Anthony, I am 17 years old and I live with my mum and sister in the UK.

It’s 5.00 am, currently sitting on my bed listening to music and watching time fly by because that’s all you can do when your country is put in lockdown. Being in lockdown really gets you contemplating about how the UK as a whole cannot be trusted to stay indoors, as Covid-19 begins to spread rapidly causing havoc around parts of England. At first I believed it was a just the flu but as the death toll rises the so-called flu becomes a silent killer as symptoms show up weeks after getting the virus. Covid-19 has not just affected people physically but mentally too; many people having anxiety over the virus has led to a national crisis: everyone is panic buying, leaving impecunious families vulnerable and this is a growing predicament.

Covid-19 is affecting people in different ways, putting people in gruelling situations and turning towns and cities into ghost towns. The virus has impacted my life as I am not able to use cash at stores with shops being closed down, and I am not being able to socialise with friends and family in person which is difficult. At 17, being out and about with friends and socialising is what you want to to do, but doing this now could lead to the spread of the virus and putting peoples’ lives at risk. This has caused many arguments around the house, changing my perception on the virus and leading me to put peoples’ needs before my own.

The virus crisis is only getting worse, it’s affecting friends and family around us. I believed it was the flu at first, being young and naïve I didn’t think much of it until I read posts on Facebook about how old friends have contracted the disease which was a real eye opener for me. This made me realise how catastrophic this disease is and made me want to act upon it almost instantly. Being in lockdown has made me realise how important it is to stay inside and stay away from people, doing this can slow down the loss of lives and the spread of the virus.

Anthony Foster is 17 and lives with his mum and sister in Huddersfield.

* Published in print edition on 17 April 2020