Losing a Friend Over Covid-19

Hannah and I were friends ever since the first day of eighth grade. Now, after six long years of friendship, we’re now both mutually blocked on all social media pages and our pictures together have been erased.

Our friendship came to an end due to a difference of opinion over Covid-19 and her blatant disregard towards the health of anyone but herself.

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, Hannah texted me asking if I wanted to get tacos with her. I politely declined the offer, and to my surprise, the next morning I received a text from her saying that she tested positive for Covid-19.

Hannah said that she had contracted the virus at a party the Saturday prior and got tested on Sunday after she found out someone at the party tested positive for the virus. She further explained how she woke up on Tuesday with no sense of smell or taste, the same day she texted me wanting to hang out.

My issue was her nonchalant attitude towards knowingly coming into contact with someone who had the virus and still attempting to go out and socialize with her friends. As if the virus hadn’t caused the deaths of nearly 196,000 Americans and 935,000 deaths worldwide as of Sept. 15.

As one would expect for two hard-headed friends to do, we began to argue over text about how irresponsible it was for her to initiate hanging out with me knowing she could have Covid-19 and not having the decency to wait until receiving her results back. I was annoyed by the fact that her attempting to hang out with me would have put my father and other individuals at risk.

Our falling out was justified and proved how self-centered my generation is when it comes to the pandemic. Most younger individuals are asymptomatic when they are exposed to Covid-19, so they continue to go out and about their daily lives as if the pandemic is not still going on. Hannah knew that I come into contact with older members of the community who are at high risk to Covid-19 and her egocentric way of thinking would not even allow her to consider the lives she would be putting in danger by getting tacos.

With unnecessary social gatherings of large groups and parties still occurring it’s easy to distinguish the difference between those looking to have fun at the expense of others’ health and those who acknowledge the Covid-19 crisis. College students are notorious for being the ones to spread Covid-19 to older people through trace contact by living in the dorms and continuing to attend parties. People like Hannah maintain an attitude of total disregard during the pandemic and the well being of our island’s kupuna and keiki.

Friends come and go and there’s no sweat off your back when a friend like Hannah exits your life. Life goes on with or without them and more often than not, it’s for the better. I might have lost a friend over the pandemic due to her lack of accountability and immaturity, yet it still hasn’t felt like a loss. In losing a friend, I learned that keeping your circle small will be beneficial in the long run and lessens the chance of you catching Covid-19. I am glad I am no longer friends with someone as entitled and ignorant as Hannah, although I wish her the best.

A month after Hannah and I had our friendship breakup, I learned through a mutual friend that shortly following her release from quarantine, Hannah went to the same house where she initially caught Covid-19 from to attend yet another party.