Identified on the MV Hondius cruise ship on May 2, 2026, the Hantavirus outbreak has sparked many opinions and concerns throughout social media and schools worldwide. Many already view it as the ‘new COVID-19,’ and others suspect a new lockdown to emerge. Students at FVHS have expressed mixed feelings towards the possibility of another lockdown. Some students fear the effects of online learning and isolation, while others see it as an opportunity to escape the pressure of school for a while.
Students at FVHS shared a variety of experiences and opinions about the previous lockdown. Some recall memories of online school, isolation, sleeping in and even participating in social media trends. Freshman Shannel Mejia-Velez believes that
although another lockdown would be difficult, students would be better prepared this time around. She also raises concerns about the new Hantavirus being able to spread person-to-person, and believes that we should have another lockdown to prevent and treat the virus.
“I feel like now we would be better prepared [for another lockdown]…and I think that schools should shut down if the virus gets worse,” Mejia-Velez said.
One of the biggest concerns students expressed was the effect online learning had on their education. Freshman Samuel Cruz Otero said that online school hurt his learning drastically because he considers himself a ‘hands-on learner,’ and topics were much harder to grasp through screen.
“Online school hurt my education badly because I wasn’t able to fully stay focused and understand lessons,” Otero said.
Freshman Malia Jeanette Curtis also explained that distractions were easy to fall into during online learning, which often led her to skip classes since no one was ‘forcing’ her to attend.
“I never joined my classes, and I did not pay attention. I was on my screen most of the time,” Curtis said.
Beyond the academic aspects of the lockdown, students also voiced concerns about the impact a possible lockdown could have on their social lives. Some students say that despite the ‘positive’ break from school, their social life would be negatively impacted. Due to the restrictions and isolation during the last pandemic, many kids lacked or never developed key social skills, making it difficult to build friendships and meet new people. If another lockdown were to occur, they suspect that the impacts would be far worse than the first lockdown.
“If another lockdown were to happen, I would most likely stay in my room all day and not talk to anyone,” said freshman Jocelyn Nandha. She added that she thinks she lost most of her social skills during the previous lockdown, and it still affects her today.
Freshman Imani Murungi also explained that she would like another lockdown to reduce the pressure of school, but says that despite the extra sleep and less stress, she would miss two of her important high school years. Similar to the previous comments, she also explained that if there were another lockdown, her social skills would plummet.
“Another lockdown would hurt me because I wouldn’t be able to talk to or meet new people,” Murungi said.
Although FVHS students have mixed feelings about the possibility of a lockdown, many agree that the effects of the previous COVID-19 pandemic are still felt today. Whether another lockdown happens or not, students hope that schools and communities are better prepared moving forward.
