A glimpse into an internship interrupted by COVID-19

Shortly before my second semester began news of how fast COVID-19 was spreading reached Melbourne, inspiring considerable vigilance from the Australian authorities for any sign of the virus. Unfortunately, despite this vigilance, on 25 January 2020 the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Oceania was recorded in Melbourne, and the concern for personal safety amongst the Australian population increased dramatically. That said, life continued as normal - memes were created to inject humour into the increasingly tense atmosphere, with the situation seen mostly as an inconvenience (“Why couldn’t this have happened when I was 15 and wanted to play COD all day?”, one friend joked). But, as the number of infections soared, so did public anxiety. Nationwide shut-downs of local businesses spread until, on 20 March, Australian borders were closed to all non-residents.

Queens College, Melbourne

This was a blow, to say the least. Studying abroad was an opportunity I had waited for since my first year at King’s, and one that was quickly overturned. If I left now there was a possibility I wouldn’t come back, but if I risked departing too late, I would be stranded in Melbourne with an expiring VISA and no means to return home. Students began disappearing to be with their families, leaving the College devoid of the usual hum of its 300-strong cohort, until under 100 of us remained; mostly International students from China, Singapore (which had already closed its borders) and Malaysia, as well as France, Germany and of course, the UK.

Without in-person classes studying was very much overlooked in favour of spending time together. A close friend moved to the countryside due to his being immunocompromised - as such a socially active person, this and the persistent stress of being cautious greatly affected his mental health. The same was true of many of the students and unhealthy coping mechanisms began to surface. There was a glimmer of hope after businesses began opening up again, however this was soon extinguished – another outbreak in Melbourne led Victoria into a second, more severe lockdown. Now, being outside unnecessarily could result in a fine of $1200, and even being caught without a mask could land you a bill for $200. Other measures included being unable to mix households, being constrained to within 5km of your home address and a curfew between 8pm and 5am.

Amy and her Australian friend Jess, dressed for the football

I managed to catch my pre-booked flight home but I know many others haven’t been as lucky, which is why I emphasize the privileged position I was in, being at a great institution with an amazing support network of friends around me. Without first-hand experience of being in the UK during the pandemic, on my return the contrast in attitudes of Londoners and Melbournians shocked me, just as much as the difference in how each country had handled the pandemic.

Nevertheless, there is hope on the horizon. The news of a vaccination with an effectiveness of 90% could not have come at a better time, and I hope that I will soon be able to visit my new friends back in Australia to do all the things we had originally planned. I can’t say my year abroad went exactly how I imagined it would, but what I can say is that it was an eye-opening experience that I will never forget!