PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A River Ridge High School student documented her time in quarantine after her possible exposure to the coronavirus in a video blog.
“COVID Diaries – Life of the Potentially Exposed” follows senior Emily Lavechia, 18, as she begins virtual classes and activities, takes a COVID-19 test, and learns her results. She said one of her teachers came up with the idea for her to take on the project as an assignment while she was out of school. Emily started recording on October 26, the day she found out she might have been exposed.
What You Need To Know
- Emily Lavechia, 18, created “COVID Diaries – Life of the Potentially Exposed” as part of a school assignment
- The video follows her through quarantine after a possible coronavirus exposure
- Emily hopes her experience serves as a reminder to follow safety guidelines
- More Coronavirus headlines
“I was thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh. I was at school today. Did I touch anyone? Was I near anyone? Did I give anyone a hug? I was around my parents when I got home. So, I was freaking out,” she said.
Isolation hasn’t been easy. Emily said she misses hanging out with friends, especially when she sees posts of them hanging out on social media. Still, “COVID Diaries” is lighthearted, showing friends delivering ice-cream to her door, a CD-painting craft project undertaken to help pass the time, and the adjustment to virtual learning.
“It’s definitely a very serious topic. I’m just naturally a fun, lighthearted person. I make YouTube videos, so all my videos are just kind of like that. I was just trying to put a different look on it,” said Emily.
Emily doesn’t reveal whether her results were positive in the video. She said she’s saving that for a follow-up. Even though she’s feeling well and not experiencing any symptoms, she said she was told she needed to quarantine for the full two weeks, regardless of her test result.
“It’s a serious thing. Wear your mask, social distance, stay in quarantine if you’ve been exposed,” said Emily.
That’s a message she said she hopes viewers take away from “COVID Diaries,” along with the importance of staying positive.
