As the school year (or lack thereof) comes to a close, we could all say the coronavirus has taken something from us. Whether it be a job, seeing friends, your sports season or even school COVID-19 has proved to the entire U.S. population that this pandemic is no joke.

In my opinion, the media’s constant coverage and negative portrayal of COVID-19 tend to make people focus on only the negatives of the virus: death, the economy failing, people without jobs, empty cities, etc. While all of these things are very serious and are not to be held lightly, good things have also come out of the virus as well.

There have been drastic drops in air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. According to BBC, “Researchers in New York told the BBC their early results showed carbon monoxide mainly from cars had been reduced by nearly 50% compared with last year. Emissions of the planet-heating gas CO2 have also fallen sharply.”

Continuing, “Traffic levels in the city were estimated to be down 35% compared with a year ago. Emissions of carbon monoxide, mainly due to cars and trucks, have fallen by around 50% for a couple of days this week according to researchers at Columbia University.”

Not only is the Earth benefiting from the drops in ir pollution, a community as small as my neighborhood is benefitting from COVID-19. For the first time since I was 12, I see kids on their bikes, families spending time together and people going for a walk in the fresh air. I’ve never even seen my neighbors across the street until a couple of weeks ago.

People are finally getting out of the house and off of their phones. I see more people picking up old hobbies. Things like knitting, painting, baking and working out are so nice to see people occupying themselves within a time like this.

Friends are finding creative ways to see each other. From parking lot hangouts to drive by’s on a friends birthday, people are finding ways to see each other while also socially distancing themselves from each other.

I’m not saying we should disregard all of the serious matters surrounding the virus, I’m saying we shouldn’t consume ourselves with it. Right now is a good time to focus on positives and how we can adapt to a scary time like this. It’s obviously a lot harder than it sounds, but staying away from the news and just going out for fresh air is something so nice to do.

As Oprah said, “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”