There are over 40,366 deaths within New York City due to COVID-19. In 2019 the world was introduced to an unknown virus that spread internationally. People throughout the world were not only getting sick, but they experienced the loss of loved ones. Compared to numbers, COVID-19 has killed more Americans than the Civil War which took place over 150 years ago. With thousands of individuals being infected everyday from Covid, are we desensitized to the amount of loss that has taken place? This tragedy and time period will forever have a major place in our history. The current death toll in the United States is 1,003,167. What will we do in response to these lives that have been taken? 

Deaths in the United States increased by 19% from 2020 to 2022, my uncle was in that percent range. Daniel means, “god is my judge,” from the Old Testament’s book of Daniel. My uncle was a brave man who invested his time in helping others. He was a police officer for the Highway Patrol Unit Five, and served fifteenth years in the police department in Staten Island. He passed away on January 19 of this year with complications from COVID-19. My uncle believed the best in people, whether it was small or big difficulties, he always had a positive belief that everything was going to be okay. He took part in a dramatic baby delivery on the side of the Staten Island Expressway, in April of 2020, escorting the mother and her new child to the hospital after the birth. This described my uncle’s impact on individuals. The older you get, the more you realize the importance of the presence your loved ones leave behind.  His big personality was a contributing factor of the love he shared. Though this was an incredibly difficult situation that took place in my life, I learned that there are many milestones a person has to go through that is inevitable. 

There is a quote that says, “grief is a reflection of love. You couldn’t hurt that much if you didn’t love that much. ” This quote can put a beautiful shift on perspectives of losing loved ones. Grieving takes time! There are no words that can adequately describe grief. You may have heard that there are five stages such as, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. With millions of families across the globe experiencing this, what is our humanity if we don’t honor our passed relatives and friends? COVID-19 should have a place in this world, to pay tribute through a monument or memorials. According to Stanford’s Medical Scientists, COVID-19 does not seem likely to end soon. We have come a long way from the year 2019, with vaccines, antiviral drugs, and lowered risks. However, let’s not forget what this virus has taken from us.