COVID-19 Through the Eyes of International Students

By: Mia Parker

When Temple suddenly announced a shift to online classes last March, every student felt the effects. For most of us, getting home was simply a drive or domestic flight away. For international students, however, it was not quite so easy.

Many international students were unable to go home over the summer because of travel restrictions, health concerns, etc. But, there are some students who were able to return home for the summer and still came back to Philadelphia this fall, giving them a unique outlook on the pandemic. They compare how their home countries and the United States are dealing with the virus.

“I went back [home] in May, and then I [returned to Philadelphia] just before the semester started,” said Vittoria Ciotti, a senior MIS and accounting double major from Rome, Italy.

Italy was one of the first countries affected by the pandemic, as it saw a major surge in cases as early as Feb. 23. Because of this, Rome was nearly back to normal once Ciotti arrived home.

“COVID in Italy started in February, and [everyone] had to quarantine for three months. When I got there in May, the situation improved a lot. I quarantined for two weeks [upon arrival], and then after it was almost back to normal. The only difference was that people were wearing their masks,” Ciotti explained.

For those in other parts of the globe, summer was quite different. In Mexico City, it was not quite so easy.

“When school closed, I bought emergency tickets back home,” said Esteban Suárez, a senior communications major and member of the Temple men’s soccer team.

Suárez believes that his home country of Mexico and the United States are handling COVID very similarly.

“I think both presidents handle the pandemic [the same]. It seems like it’s a joke, [and] they try to hide how bad it is,” Suárez remarked.

Ciotti believes that Italy handled COVID-19 better than the United States simply because they were hit earlier and the population is smaller.

“Everything [in Europe] started before [the U.S., so] they had more experience, and [Italy is] a smaller country,” she explained. “People were following the rules in Italy in the beginning, but now not as much.”

Although much of Italy is reopened, Mexico is not.

“It’s [still] pretty bad. Everything is online. I think some [things] are starting to reopen, but not to full capacity,” Suárez said.

Even with Temple’s switch to online learning earlier in the semester, both Suárez and Ciotti are glad to be back.

“My first week back it was super hard for me to catch up on [my English]. It’s different taking classes on zoom from talking to people [in person, but] it’s my last semester and I really wanted to come back here. I’m graduating his December, so I think it’ll be better for my future [to be here],” Suárez added.

“I’m really happy to be back, just because I was supposed to be back in July but couldn’t because of the travel ban. It’s easier to follow my classes online here because of the time difference,” Ciotti said.

It’s been a frustrating time for everyone, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in the small, everyday struggles that come with living in a pandemic. It’s important to take a step back and acknowledge and appreciate the perspectives and hardships of our international peers.