Jillian H., Science Department Co-Editor

Automatic sliding doors blast a concentrated smell of hand sanitizer and icy air throughout each elevator and waiting room. Coughing, hacking, and wheezing greet most who walk in. Magazines are stacked neatly on tables, waiting for a handful of children to ponder through the pages. The clicking of small keys can be heard over the ring of phones from the receptionist’s office. The smell of gum and concentrated coffee meanders all around the lobby, as another child with a nosebleed stumbles through the shiny doors. A sterile atmosphere characterizes the beige and white walls and floors, all of which the harsh white light reflects upon, illuminating the sparkle from last night’s mopping. People of all ages lumber in, their current conditions plastered upon their faces. This was the everyday work atmosphere for most nurses. With the sudden introduction of COVID-19, many nurses now face a different harsh reality.