Odutope Macauley-Okoro

My Experience During the COVID-19

I am Odutope Macauley-Okoro. A wife, mother, and caregiver. I moved to Nova Scotia two years ago, and I must say, life was good. And then, just like a jungle cat, the pandemic glided into our lives and changed everything as we know it. I had to stop working to stay home to help the children with online schooling, in which I had no training. We all remained stuck at home with our attention constantly on social media awaiting our fate, listening for updates. What a nightmare!

And then the worst happened! A sudden feeling dawned on me like I have been caged, locked up and all I wanted was to yell and run. “Where do I run to, and who will I yell at?” I asked myself. At the peak of the pandemic, when movements were highly restricted, I grabbed my car keys and just drove without any destination on my mind nor care if police officials would stop me. I felt I lost my sanity.

This experience gave me some understanding of what most people who suffered had to endure; those who contracted the disease, lost their loved ones, jobs, and especially the frontline workers risking their lives while caring for people.