USA

Missing the feeling of not worrying about a major virus lurking around every corner

In March 2020 it got very scary for us. I was performing standup in NYC and the next day all of the comedians were informed that an audience member had tested positive for Corona virus. My partner ended up getting it late March and it was the scariest time in our lives. My daughter and I never got it. The biggest thing I miss is my Mom and Dad and extended family. They live in NC and I would see them at leat 4 times a year. I have yet to see them since the start of the Pandemic. I also miss the feeling of pre-Covid – not worrying about a major virus lurking around every corner. Read more

Trying to focus on the positives while staying safe

We just had our second baby Feb. 9th 2020 and then the world closed down. My husband went from working long hours almost every day a week to being home with us and helping with the transition to two children. Thankfully, we did not get sick. I haven’t left my house it feels like since last March. In Florida they never really inforced all the regulations so I had to be overly cautious myself. My youngest kid is too small for a mask but not old enough to understand social distancing. Read more

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

It’s gotten so much better with the hope of vaccine. People are optimistic for first time since the outbreak. 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. But due to the crisis my social life changed drastically. I have ten friends I saw from time to time, either at my place or theirs’. But I no longer go out at night with friends. People are either scared, tired or uninterested. Read more

Being a scientist during a pandemic

The crisis showed me how important safety science and science is to all life on earth. I heard a news segment early 2020 where the newscaster said “Listen to the science, let the scientists talk!” And I was like, wait a minute, I’m a scientist. That’s when I started talking to anyone and everyone who would listen, mostly online. I have my Master’s in Health Sciences which includes masks and respirators. I tried my best to communicate what I know to the public. I contacted my state around July 2020 and the Department of Health told me no additional Safety & Health professionals were needed at this time. It was and still is a pandemic. Read more

Having started a movement to help annihilating Covid-19

My partner and I started a movement, MakeGoodTogether.org. We are an organization that aims to empower everyday people to be leaders within their social circles to annihilate Covid-19. We want people to stick up for safe action in social situations, and influence others close to them to make smart and safe decisions as they relate to the pandemic. To be able to service our project, MakeGoodTogether, I’ve had to cut about three-quarters of my billable work. It’s been a struggle, having to choose between being able to pay the bills, and being able to push forward an initiative that can literally save lives. Read more

When 60 percent of your friends had Covid and two of them died

I was possibly the first person around my inner group of family and friends to sound the alarms and most everyone called me an alarmist and paranoid. I lost two friends and know of many relatives of friends who died, I would say that 60 percent of my friends had Covid, all in different manners some very bad and some barely sick. I am terribly scared of getting infected and more so because of the longterm effects. I now have received my second vaccine two weeks ago, but I will still continue wearing a mask and limiting my exposure. Read more

When the vaccine gives you hope

My biggest challenge has been realizing all the adventures and experiences my son has missed. He has missed his first year of school, playing with his friends, going to parks, the list is endless and equally heartbreaking. I am immune compromised and very fearful of what will happen if I get the virus. I just don’t want to miss seeing my son grow up. Please, please, please get us all vaccinated. This should be the priority. Read more

When the biggest challenge is learning to accept the new normal

Right now the situation in Miami is starting to get bad again. At one point during the quarantine, we were considered the most infected city in the world, being the epicenter for the disease. Three good friends lost one of their parents. I was very sad to see them devastated by the fact that they couldn’t properly say good bye. Their parents died alone in a hospital. We were in lockdown for at least 6 months. We really decided to go full force on it. We stayed at home, and never left. Read more

When your mother passes away and you can´t fly to your family

My mother had to go to the hospital due to a minor emergency in April. She was then infected with Covid while being treated at the hospital in Germany. I couldn’t fly to Germany since I am a US citizen. At first it didn’t seem like a big deal but then it got bad very quickly. When her lungs filled with fluid she really couldn’t talk much. But then she got better! She improved for a few weeks and eventually even tested negative for the virus. While she was still in the hospital and just a day away from coming home she died of heart failure. Read more

Seeing the year 2020 as the end of one era and the beginning of another

It’s impossible to talk about coronavirus in America without talking about political polarization. There is an atmosphere of anger and paranoia that has just become part of our climate. Clearly 2020 marks the end of one era and the beginning of another. For Americans my age, who were early in our adulthood when 9/11 happened, the period from that event to this one will be one period in our lives, and what comes next will be another. Read more