lifestyle magazine
life admidst a pandemic
0202 LIRPA
TIMES
1 eussi
THE CORONA
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THE MIND, THE BODY AND THE SOUL WHILE REMAINING UPDATED DURING A WORLD CRISIS.
A thorough guide on how to cope with the grave consequences that the COVID-19 outbreak has had on the mental health of young adults.
page 9
PUBLISHED BY WORLD ACADEMY OF TIRANA
ENTERTAINMENT
BEST SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TIME IN QUARANTINE Book Recommendations Catch 22 by Joseph Heller A fun novel set in World War 2. I don’t want to say too much about it as it's one of those books you have to read for yourself. If you like irony, this book is for you.
A novel for young adults about a dystopian society with the facade of a utopia, where a young man works to break out of the societal boundaries.
Songs of Solomon by Toni Morrison This book covers the life of Macon Dead III and his emotional maturity through his rise to adulthood. Now a disclaimer, this book is weird, so make sure you are mentally prepared through this read.
Continue reading at next page >
By Joshua Moellering
After spending a couple weeks in quarantine, the best option for spending your time sometimes feels like banging your head on the wall. The remarkable boredom can get to you. However, with a wide variety of media, activities, and books available to you, you can make this quarantine go by in a flash. Let's start with activities! This category can contain anything from physical activities, to games with the family, so this provides endless possibilities for bonding time with the folks. A great game to play together is Bang. If you have enough people, this game allows for high stakes drama and intense moments among the players. In this game, everybody is assigned a role, whether it be Sheriff, deputy, outlaw, or renegade. As the sheriff and deputies work to eliminate the outlaw and renegade, the outlaw attempts to eliminate the sheriff, whilst the renegade looks to be the last man standing. An issue here however, is that this game takes 5-7 people to play, and I recommend 7 people to have the best experience. I understand if families in one household do not have that many people willing to play a game, so another recommendation for a great game is Yahtzee. All it requires is two people, five dice, and the rulebook. This game is almost entirely luck, so somehow your annoying little sibling will win every time. Besides that, it is a fun game that you can play with really as many people as there are in your household, so it is a good choice for a fun time in really any quarantined household. The third activity I want to bring up is for you fitness freaks out there. Being stuck in quarantine with no physical activity makes you want to jump out and explode. If you’re really that desperate for exertion of energy, try jazzercising. This activity is quick and simple to set up. Look up on YouTube for an instructor that models exercises to follow the beat of the music, and have a towel ready for all that sweat you will accumulate. This is a fun use of one hour, although fairly embarrassing,
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APRIL 2020 | ISSUE 05
The Giver by Lois Lowry
HOW TO NEVER GET BORED
ENTERTAINMENT
Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho If you haven’t seen it yet, just watch it. It's a wonderful movie critiquing social hierarchy and the irrational competition between members of the lower class.
TV Shows Recommendations The Office Often praised as one of the greatest shows of all time, this is worth a binge watch. This show has mastered cringe comedy and wholesomeness at the same time.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople directed by Taika Waititi
Parks and Recreations
Before director Taika Waititi made international blockbusters such as Thor Ragnorak, he started with low budget comedies out in New Zealand. This movie is just that, a delightful and charming comedy for the family to enjoy (with a few adult jokes).
Very similar to the office, but it provides more character depth to its side characters. Most of all, who doesn’t love Ron Swanson.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail directed by Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam Now I might be biased as this is my favorite movie ever, but I can not recommend this enough. This movie is fun, stupid, and meaningless comedy for the enitre family, and a great use of an hour and a half.
Black Mirror This show is really messed up. The ideas are so bizarre and crazy it makes your stomach hurt. That's what makes this show so great. I recommend this to watch, although not to binge as this can feed into any potential depression and anxiety issues.
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APRIL 2020 | ISSUE 05
Movie Recommendations
ON STAYING SAFE
Tips on staying safe BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS
By Enio Bicoku Continue reading at next page >
The best way to stop or prevent the spread of the CoronaVirus is to be wellinformed about what the virus is and how it is spread. The Coronavirus epidemic was identified in Wuhan, China in the beginning of 2020. On January 7, 2020, China confirmed that a new virus from the coronavirus family had been identified that was responsible for this new disease called COVID‑19. The SARS-like virus is believed to have been transmitted into a human host through bats or pangolins. The main symptoms of the Coronavirus according to the CDC are shortness of breath, fever and cough. However, since Coronavirus is a respiratory illness other flu-like symptoms may be evident as well.
The virus spreads through contagion from viral droplets whenever an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through close contact with someone who is infected. These droplets can come into direct contact with other people or can infect those who pick them up by touching infected surfaces and then their face. According to scientists, coughs and sneezes can travel several feet and stay suspended in the air for up to 10 minutes. The incubation period of the coronavirus, the length of time before symptoms appear, is between one and 14 days. Although not yet confirmed, Chinese health authorities believe the virus can be transmitted before symptoms appear. April 2020 | 4
ON STAYING SAFE
Keep Our Workplace Safe! Practice good hygiene Stop hand shakes and use noncontact greeting methods Clean hands at the door and schedule regular hand washing reminders Disinfect surfaces like doorknobs, tables, and desks regularly Avoid touching your face and cover your coughs and sneezes Increase ventilation by opening windows or adjusting air conditioning
Stay home if... You are feeling sick You have a sick family member at home
Limit meetings and nonessential travels Use video conferencing instead of face-to-face meetings When video calls are not possible, hold your meetings in wellventilated rooms and spaces Suspend all nonessential travels and trips
Take care of your emotional and mental well-being Outbreaks are a stressful and anxious time for everyone. We're here to support you!
SOURCE: CDC.GOV
April 2020 |Â 5
ON STAYING SAFE BUSTING
MYTHS
THE ONLY TRUTH ABOUT THE VIRUS 5G
MOBILE
NOT
TOWERS
SPREAD
DO
CORONAVIRUS
Viruses cannot travel on radio waves/mobile networks. COVID-19 is spreading in many countries that do not have 5G mobile networks. COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. People can also be infected by touching a contaminated surface and then their eyes, mouth or nose.
BEING
ABLE
BREATH
TO
FOR
WITHOUT
FREE
DOES
FROM
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
OR
YOUR
SECONDS
COUGHING
DISCOMFORT ARE
HOLD
10
OR
NOT
OR
MORE
EXPOSING THE
SUN
YOURSELF
TEMPERATURES 25
DOES
TO
OR
NOT
HIGHER
THAN
PREVENT
CORONAVIRUS
You can catch COVID-19, no matter how sunny or hot the weather is. Countries with hot weather have reported cases of COVID-19. To protect yourself, make sure you clean your hands frequently and thoroughly and avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.
FEELING MEAN
YOU
THE
DISEASE ANY
OTHER
LUNG
DRINKING
ALCOHOL
DOES
DISEASE.
The best way to confirm if you have the virus producing COVID-19 disease is with a laboratory test. You cannot confirm it with this breathing exercise, which can even be dangerous.
COLD THE
WEATHER
NEW
AND
NOT
PROTECT
COVID-19
AND
YOU CAN
AGAINST BE
DANGEROUS
Frequent or excessive alcohol consumption can increase your risk of health problems..
SNOW
CANNOT
KILL
CORONAVIRUS.
There is no reason to believe that cold weather can kill the new coronavirus or other diseases. The normal human body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the external temperature or weather. The most effective way to protect yourself against the new coronavirus is by frequently cleaning your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and water. April 2020 | 6
ON MENTAL HEALTH
HOW TO MAINTAIN
MENTAL HEALTH By David Barbullushi
Maintaining positive mental health is critical during quarantine. As we are all out of our normal routine, our mental health can suffer negative effects. Aside from feeling worried or fearful from the potential spread and news surrounding the virus, the lack of sense of community and socialization can be very stressful. The most important aspect of maintaining strong, positive mental health is to listen to your body. As you become stressed, your body may experience difficulty sleeping, inability to concentrate, lack of motivation, changes in eating patterns, and so on. Luckily, there are simple actions that you can take to cope with and manage your stress and help create a positive mindset. While you are in lockdown, one way to cope with stress is to make sure to manage your time. The majority of the reason that we all feel stressed is because our “normal” life has been altered severely in a short time period. Concentrating on small victories, accomplishments, and completion of tasks, can help focus your mindset on the bigger picture. Break down your day into smaller, more manageable pieces and divide how you use your time. There are many activities to integrate into your new routine so that you can balance your “new” life.
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APRIL 2020|
7
ON MENTAL HEALTH H O W
T O
EASE NEGATIVE FEELINGS CREATE
A
NEW
ROUTINE START
Your lockdown routine will not be the same as your nonlockdown life, so it can really help to create a routine.
A
PROJECT
This could be as simple as setting out to accomplish a simple task at home. This could include reorganizing your clothes or building a new birdhouse for the yard.
This adds structure to your days, although you will be at home, and help make your life more balanced. Make sure to include balanced meals and physical exercise!
MINDFULNESS
AND
MEDITATION
Taking only ten minutes a day to meditate and reflect on your priorities and values can be a positive and uplifting activity. KEEP
A
JOURNAL
Keeping a journal is a great way to reflect on the positive aspects of your day and recognize when and where your greatest productivity is. If you are creative, begin a Bullet Journal to help track your progress. Prioritizing is an important piece of maintaining mental health..
SCHEDULE FOR
VIDEO
CALLS
FUN
Work calls are not the only calls that you should have on Zoom these days. It is important to make time to spend with close friends and family. A feeling of community and togetherness, even in a time of social distancing, can help prevent feelings of stress or loneliness.
No matter what you decide to do, it is important to keep your mind and body active during lockdown. Choose activities based on your interests and listen to your body. You could even learn a new hobby. To help combat negative feelings, remember that you are not alone.
STAY
EXERCISE
Physical activity is important and there are more activities that can be done at home than people think.
CONNECTED
Contact your family members, friends, and groups so that you can support each other. APRIL 2020| 8
ON STAYING HEALTHY
MAINTAINING A HEALTHY BODY Warming up: Pilates/Yoga Starting to workout right off the bat, without warming up or stretching can truly damage your muscles and leave you tired for days. Warming up is essential to a workout routine. I found myself alternating between pilates and yoga. This has also helped be with the anxiety that comes with confinement and being continually exposed to terrible world news.
Pilates and yoga both have an essential component; focus on one’s breathing techniques. Not only has this part of the workout been my favorite, but it has also enhanced my anxiety management, as well as flexibility and balance. Here are a few poses I SWEAR BY!
Lower Body Workout FitnessBlender has been a YouTube Channel that I have absolutely adored during the past month. Not only is its owner, Kelli, a great fitness instructor, but her workouts are truly do-able for beginners and she also included short breaks in between workouts in her videos which makes them super productive. Here is a workout that I’ve been following recently:
STAYING HEALTHY By Fiona Lutaj
For the majority of the population, quarantine has caused a major pause to their daily physical activities. Unless you have implemented going to the gym into your daily routine, you will find social distancing quite pleasing as there are no physical obligations. Frankly, all you do is stay in bed or on a couch in the living room with a snack, watching your 10th episode for the day. However, this has been a DRASTIC change in the way we live our lives, starting from how many steps we take in a day, what we eat and how we choose to spend our time. Amidst a world health crisis, you can turn your social distancing into a productive time in your life. Here is a short guide on how to be a completely different and healthier person by the end of quarantine. Similar to many people, going to the gym was part of my New Year resolutions that was continually postponed. When I started quarantine I felt demotivated, my plans of going to the gym had been… well, cancelled. Soon, I found out that you can turn your own home into a wellness centre with a bit of imagination and inspiration. The following tips are essential to maintaining an active lifestyle even in quarantine. During one month of quarantine, my step count dropped from an average of 7000 per day to only 500. I decided that lower body workout was truly required. Below you can find the workout routine I followed for one month. April 2020 | 9
ON EDUCATION
A MidTerm Break HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED EDUCATION
By: Kaltra Cerga Photo by UNESCO
COVID-19 has interrupted children’s education all across the globe. The data on whether school closures will curb COVID-19 are limited. Michael Head, who studies global health at the University of Southampton, says that children may not be the “main routes of transmission” and the economic, social and educational costs are heavy. For all governments, deciding whether or not to close schools is a choice between two bad options. According to UNESCO, there have been 1,575,270,054 affected learners worldwide, meaning 91.3% of total enrolled learners in 191 country-wide closures.
The following map showcases which countries have localized educational institutions, which ones have mandated school closures and lastly the ones that are still managing to keep schools open. There have been consequences for every educational institution closure, from daycares to universities. These consequences could potentially extend to June which has led to online learning. However, there have been many questions regarding grading, diplomas and final exams as well as national tests. This has become a policy challenge and it is impacting students and admission processes all around the globe. April 2020 | 10
ON EDUCATION The closure of schools has affected students' entry to higher education as for many universities it will be harder to determine if the students were assessed fairly and had adequate time to study. In addition, there are wider societal implications of current arrangements. Many parents are not in a position to be able to support their children’s learning effectively, and this will undoubtedly exacerbate the effects of educational inequalities. Many educational institutions are taking these disadvantages into consideration as students might be struggling with the current platforms and have less access to learning materials as well as support from their teachers.
Updates on Exams The International Baccalaureate has updated their policies to support and protect the community. IB has created a COVID-19 section where they answer questions and give updates on their official website. Examinations has been a key issue for every educational institution, IB has decided to cancel May 2020 examinations, their most recent update explains: “We will be using vast historical assessment data to ensure that we follow a rigorous process of due diligence in what is a truly unprecedented situation. We will be undertaking significant data analysis from previous exam sessions, individual school data, subject data as well as comparative data of schools who have already completed uploading requirements and those who have not. We will require schools to submit the coursework for all candidates. We will externally mark work that is usually marked by teachers, instead of taking samples and applying moderation.” The IB has also extended their deadlines, decided to implement online teaching, and issued school closures. For more information about the IB refer to the official website updates by using this link: https://www.ibo.org/news/news-about-the-ib/covid19-coronavirus-updates/#school-closures
Other programmes have implemented similar policies regarding examinations and grading. Cambridge International has explained the new approach to grading on their official website: “We can now share with you our process for awarding grades to candidates entered for Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge O Level, Cambridge International AS & A Level, Cambridge IPQ or Cambridge Pre-U syllabuses in the June 2020 series. Our approach remains to ask schools to collaborate with us as we make evidence-based decisions about grades for each candidate in each subject. Our process has four steps: Step 1. Centre determines a predicted grade for each candidate for each syllabus entered Step 2. Centre determines a rank order of its candidates within each grade for each syllabus Step 3. Head of centre confirms the predicted grades and rank orders, and centre sends them to Cambridge International Step 4. Cambridge International carries out a standardisation process, combining data from the school with other data, and awards final grades” Cambridge International has more updates concerning COVID-19 on their official website: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/news/latest -news/ April 2020 | 11
ON HELPING YOUR COMMUNITY
HOW TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY
ADOPT A GRANDPARENT By Julind Voda
Adopt a Grandma Charity is a charity recently opened in Albania because of COVID-19. This charity has a great purpose which is to help all elderly men and women who because of this pandemic disease are not able to do their groceries since they are scared to go outside since they are at the highest risk of getting infected. Young groups of people have started buying groceries and donating them to these elderley men and women who really need their help. This charity was even retweeted by the Mayor of Albania Erion Veliaj. “Thanks to tens of young men and women who are helping the elderly during this difficult time, they are also relieving the doctors burden who have so much to do at this tough time” (Erion Veliaj 03.2020). This is a great incentive from the youth of Albania since from monday 30,March the elderly are not allowed to go outside and do their grocery and medical needs. To make sure that the money funded by the government is well spent, the correct procedure will be taken. Some government authorities will be there to support and help these young volunteers. THIS IS THE MOMENT FOR EVERYONE TO STAND UP AND HELP. Not everyone has the opportunities you have and there are people who are even more affected by such diseases because they can not work and they can not afford their medicine. Since during this quarantine time you have a lot of time, every little donation would help these people. It doesn’t have to be a huge donation, just spend some of your time well by helping out these lederly people who really need it. Maybe gather a small group of friends, but keep in mind to wear the correct masks and gloves in order to secure your own safety and go help these people who really need it. This is the moment for all of Albanian youth to show their determination and will in order to maintain our country's elderly people in a healthy state. APRIL 2020|
12
APRIL 2020
THE CORONA TIMES EXLUSIVE ISSUE CREATED BY THE WORLD ACADEMY OF TIRANA WITH THE PURPOSE OF RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC