When there is a permanent fear of loss

General

How is the situation in your city/ country? Is there a 2nd wave yet?
In India we have had more than a few waves of cases but considering the income diversification and poverty levels aligned with inflation people are either to die out of means or die of Covid. Many have resumed services and back to work ignoring the scare of the pandemic.

How did the atmosphere in your country change within the last months?
As I mentioned off late we all have made our peace with the pandemic and have started moving on, the job cuts around everyone have instilled a fear of survival.

How are you and your family?
Safe by Gods mercy.

What was the biggest challenge for you within the last months?
My biggest challenge as a freelance photojournalist was to move around without a press credential and many have taken a share of the pie, I have lost many assignments due to Covid.

In India people are either to die out of means or die of Covid.

Measures

When did you realize how serious the situation is?
Being under a 28 day strict lockdown and hearing about the deaths was really scary.

How did your government react to the crisis? Which measures/restrictions were taken first?
The government forced a lockdown making people panic more. As in India a few thousand deaths across the country is no big a deal until the TV channels blows it out of proportion.

Are you satisfied with the measures of your government? What was good/bad?
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What would you like to say to your government?
Instead of giving boost to the MNCs and companies the government should have made it mandatory that no company could fire a employee until this pandemic is sorted.

Which sentence of a virologist/politician did you memorize the most?
Ghar par rahe by our PM (Stay at home by our Prime Minister Modi).

The government should have made it mandatory that no company could fire a employee until this pandemic is sorted.

The Virus

Do you know anybody who was infected with COVID-19 or even died?
My son’s classmate’s father, a young guy, lost his life to Covid and it was heartbreaking and that instilled the fear in us as well.

Have you already done a Coronavirus test or have you been in quarantine?
Yes and tested negative so no quarantine.

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

My son’s classmate’s father, a young guy, lost his life to Covid and it was heartbreaking.

The lockdown

How long is/was your lockdown and what was allowed/what wasn´t?
We had 28 days of absolute stay at home wherein essential services would come to the doorsteps and deliver and otherwise three months but we were stuck in the complex all of that time.

Did you spend the lockdown time with somebody and what did you do during this time?
I was with my wife.

What did you miss the most during the lockdown? What helped you?
I missed a lot of assignments but luckily got a mere job that I could do from home and that helped me survive the storm.

We had 28 days of absolute stay at home wherein essential services would come to the doorsteps and deliver.

Changes

How did your work situation change within the last months (shorter hours, working from home, etc.)
The fear of loosing income is so much that I have taken up a very less paying job that I dislike but still do it out of fear of loosing whatever little I have.

How did your social life (relationship/friendships/dating) change due to the Corona crisis?
Many friends who had press credentials made fun and I have come to realize I have very few on whom I can count on.

What impact has the Corona crisis on your financial situation?
There is a permanent fear of loss and I am unsure if I could ever get over it. I used to work for a big newswire named Reuters and the bosses back then created a atmosphere that forced me to go independent and now when I see things have changed quite a lot and I regret the treatment that company did with me.

Social distancing: How does your daily life look like at the moment?
Lots of hand washing and use of sanitizers but we are living in fear.

There is a permanent fear of loss and I am unsure if I could ever get over it.

Perception

Who are to your opinion the heroes of this crisis?
Doctors.

What did the crisis show you?
That noting is secure and there are no true friends except family (I may sound like those Italian Mafia but truly the pandemic showed me the true colours of people I used to call friends).

What will you appreciate more after the crisis?
The ones who stood by me and to have some income security no matter how less it seams.

Which images will you never forget?
The emptiness, people in crisis are very common but the emptiness looked like some Hollywood cinema.

Which stories/incidents/experiences touched/shattered you the most?
Hearing the death of people with less means and that of my sons classmates father.

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The pandemic showed me the true colours of people I used to call friends.

Perspective

What are you afraid of right now?
In a competitive world people with better means are always ahead, organizations like the world press photos should consider excluding those who had a better chance. My fear is that I have gone a decade behind.

What gives you hope?
Honestly nothing.

Are you planning to travel within the next months?
I am travelling within the country, sadly I couldn’t renew my passport due to logistical issues.

Would you get yourself vaccinated against COVID-19?
Maybe not, I still fear the virus might mutate and the vaccine might prove to be useless.

What can we all learn from this crisis?
That there should be a insurance for being jobless in a pandemic or unforeseen situation.

If you could give 2020 a headline, what would it be?
Glad it passed.

I still fear the virus might mutate and the vaccine might prove to be useless.