When you already got the vaccine and are used to the new normal

General

How is the situation in your city/ country? Is there a 2nd wave yet?
New York is coming back alive. Restaurants are open and allowing indoor dining at 35 percent capacity. Stores are open. Museums are opening. People are out in the street, eating and drinking together.

How did the atmosphere in your country change within the last months?
It’s gotten so much better with the hope of vaccine. People are optimistic for first time since the outbreak. Also, we have a new President so people are relieved to have competent leadershipn after four nightmare years.

How are you and your family?
Everyone is alive. Exhausted, but alive and healthy.

What was the biggest challenge for you within the last months?
Cabin fever. Being stuck inside an apartment for the last year has been hard. I am used to traveling around the world so staying home so much has been extremely difficult.

People are optimistic for first time since the outbreak.

Measures

When did you realize how serious the situation is?
In March 2020, when they announced all restaurant closings. The next day, New York was a ghost town.

How did your government react to the crisis? Which measures/restrictions were taken first?
Horribly. Donald Trump politicized the virus. He denied there was one, then tried to limit testing so the numbers didn’t make him look bad. He then refused to wear a mask, made fun of people who did, encouraged people to overthrow their state governments and reopen, then inject bleach.

Are you satisfied with the measures of your government? What was good/bad?
Now, yes. President Biden has turned things around. We are vaccinating 3 million people a day.

What would you like to say to your government?
It’s sad that the richest nation in the world fumbled the biggest threat to the world in a generation. Politics have no role in public health.

Which sentence of a virologist/politician did you memorize the most?
Dr. Anthony Fauci.

We are vaccinating 3 million people a day.

The Virus

Do you know anybody who was infected with COVID-19 or even died?
Yes.

Have you already done a Coronavirus test or have you been in quarantine?
I got the vaccine!

Are you afraid of getting infected with the Coronavirus?
Yes!

I got the vaccine!

The lockdown

How long is/was your lockdown and what was allowed/what wasn´t?
Extreme lockdown was five months (March-July). Then things began to open slowly — restaurants, stores, salons, drycleaners, etc.

Did you spend the lockdown time with somebody and what did you do during this time?
I have 10 friends I saw from time to time, either at my place or theirs’.

What did you miss the most during the lockdown? What helped you?
Going to lunch every day at my favorite pub across the street and seeing all my friends.

I have 10 friends I saw from time to time during lockdown, either at my place or theirs’.

Changes

How did your work situation change within the last months (shorter hours, working from home, etc.)
Not much — I have worked from home for five years. But not being able to leave for lunch or social occasions has greatly affected the work/ life balance.

How did your social life (relationship/friendships/dating) change due to the Corona crisis?
It changed drastically — I no longer go out at night with friends. People are either scared, tired or uninterested. Also, the bars/ lounges we used to go to are not open.

What impact has the Corona crisis on your financial situation?
Strangely, not much. The government funding has replaced business I lost because of the virus so I’m pretty even.

Social distancing: How does your daily life look like at the moment?
A new normal. I often forget what it was like before COVID. I wake up, work, find something to do for lunch, go back to work and gradually migrate to working from my phone. I usually see a friend for dinner. If not, I’ll eat out by myself.

Life is a new normal. I often forget what it was like before COVID.

Perception

Who are to your opinion the heroes of this crisis?
Dr. Fauci. He is the only credible person to emerge from the virus. All the Trump people have blood on their hands and should be in jail.

What did the crisis show you?
I’m still processing this. I want to say it’s shown we’re all human and living a shared experience. Also, you learn who your true friends are in a crisis.

What will you appreciate more after the crisis?
A small group of friends.

Which images will you never forget?
The Navy hospital ship sailing into New York … people cheering healthcare workers outside their buildings every night at 7pm … Trump telling people to inject bleach.

Which stories/incidents/experiences touched/shattered you the most?
The 500,000 people who died needlessly. Had our government done its job, that would have been very few.

All the Trump people have blood on their hands and should be in jail.

Perspective

What are you afraid of right now?
A new virus coming back.

What gives you hope?
Science.

Are you planning to travel within the next months?
No.

Would you get yourself vaccinated against COVID-19?
Already did.

What can we all learn from this crisis?
Leadership is important. It’s important we have competent, caring people running our government and not a corrupt cartoon character manipulating data, lying and blaming others for their own mistakes.

If you could give 2020 a headline, what would it be?
Fuck.Off.

It’s important we have competent, caring people running our government and not a corrupt cartoon character.