ABSTRACT
This reflection aims to share my experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the coronavirus spread across the world, I was an international student living in Madrid with my partner and friends. In this chapter, I explore the Spanish government’s and media’s attitude and initial response to the virus and the result – the Spanish coronavirus nightmare. This reflection also explores the case study of the swift Israeli COVID-19 response. Although Israel faced chronic medical resource shortage and political unrest in February 2019, it eventually became a global leader in COVID-19 vaccination. I use Erik Erikson’s Stages of psychological development as a theory to help understand my own experience, as well as the experiences of those close to me during the epidemic-led social isolation. With a focus on intimacy and identity versus isolation, I emphasize on the hardships of transitioning to a life lived virtually while discussing the psychological implications the pandemic imposed on generations at varying stages of development. This chapter then concludes with takeaway lessons and a look at what the future may hold as we leave COVID-19 behind.
