Week 4: Performance Task#1 (Effective Speech Writing)

Given the situation/theme below, write a speech considering all the different principles of effective speech writing. It should have at least between 600 to 800 words. 

Theme:

(As a student)- How and what to prepare during a pandemic.

    Months had passed when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus, COVID-19, as a global pandemic in March. By this time, it had already hit our own country. By the end of that month, there were already a total of over a thousand of cases recorded, specifically 1546 confirmed cases and 78 deaths according to a weekly report from WHO. The numbers may seem low but remember that this data was from months ago. Currently, there are 525,618 confirmed cases and 10,749 deaths according to a visual presentation provided by the same organization. I am not trying to scare anyone but frankly, we should be a little bit scared. This virus does not give regards for your sex, gender, race, or beliefs. Anyone could be affected, which means anyone could be a victim of this catastrophe.

    However, not all hope is lost. Currently, we already have solutions for this issue such as the vaccines brought by numerous companies. Although it does completely immunize a person from being infected. It only raises one’s immunity. Also, not everyone is able to avail and have the vaccine due to various reasons.

    One thing that surely drives this fear away is knowledge. Knowledge is power and with enough and appropriate knowledge, we will be able to prevent the virus from ever affecting us. As the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure.”

    As a student, there are already several ways to prepare during this pandemic. Namely, I have six ways to do so. First and foremost, stay inside. It could not be more emphasized and simplified than that. Staying at home drastically decreases the likelihood of getting the virus simply because there is no one to receive it from. If you do not have any significant reason to go outside, stay at home. When you are sick, treat it, assess your symptoms to determine whether you need further medical care, and stay at home. Not only is this beneficial for you, but you are also contributing to others since there is one less person outside who might and can be a carrier of the virus.

    Second is wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). If you ever have a reason to go outside, the least you can do is to follow this preventive measure. At a community setting, this includes face masks and face shields. Be sure to wear them properly. It must cover the entire face at all times except for certain and obvious situations such as eating. It is necessary to do so to prevent passing or receiving the virus to and from someone else.

    Thirdly, follow social distancing. Aside from having PPE, it is best to keep distance whenever you are outside. Specifically, maintain six feet or a two-meter distance from anyone. Moreover, keep a safe distance from people whenever they or you are coughing or sneezing.

    Fourthly, it is best to assess the condition of your current area. Luckily, we already have different community quarantines based on the risk and danger of certain areas. There is a reason why there are times where it is strictly prohibited to go outside. It is best to just follow it and stay at home. If your area is assessed that it has a lower risk, you may be able to go outside but it is still better to just stay inside.

    Fifth is sanitation. According to an article from WHO, it is not certain how long the survives on surfaces, but it seems likely to behave like other coronaviruses. A recent review of the survival of human coronaviruses on surfaces ranges from 2 hours to 9 days. The survival time depends on a number of factors, including the type of surface, temperature, relative humidity and specific strain of the virus. The same review also found that effective inactivation could be achieved within 1 minute using common disinfectants. This is why sanitation is very important in order to prevent indirect contamination.

    Sixth is preparing other goods and material such as food, water, and disinfectants. Although quarantines have been less strict today, you can never be too sure. It is best to have supplies that can last at least up to a week or two. Then again, be sure to avoid panic-buying or hoarding, since other people also need these supplies.

    To sum up, I have listed six ways to be prepared during this pandemic. These are: staying at home, wearing PPE, physical or social distancing, being informed, proper sanitation, and preparing enough goods and materials. Following and applying these preventive measures will surely decrease the likelihood of getting the virus. Remember to stay alert and be informed, since discovering new information about the virus is still not over. With proper cooperation and discipline, we will be able to survive and live through this pandemic.