Surfing the Web: Utilizing New Forms of Communication in the Face of a Worldwide Crisis
By Ash Prodromou
Andy Prodromou is a primary care physician with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. His day-to-day routine for his profession usually includes checking in with his regular patients, communicating about prescriptions, socializing with his coworkers, and taking on new clients to help diagnose their problems. This morning, he has an appointment with a regular to check up on their diabetes and help them with a new prescription. He’s keeping busy, checking in with patients...all from the comfort of his own home. In light of the shelter-at-home order, made effective at exactly midnight on March 18th, 2020, many families are finding themselves stuck, well, at home. Unable to meet up with family and friends, many banned from going into work and forced to stay indoors at
all hours of the day, it’s easy to make the argument that the coronavirus has isolated us as a species. However, in a surprise twist of fate, technology and virtual communication have connected people across the globe and allowed us to contact loved ones, keep up general health, and still enjoy the things that we love. Take that, Aunt Marie on Facebook, who said that all teenagers are only using their phones to be antisocial! The first inkling that this little virus was something more than a regional issue came when cases of coronavirus exploded across China and Italy, causing both countries to shut down completely as hospitals scrambled to contain the vast number of patients in