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2022-04-19
The interviewee discusses vaccine hesitancy and life during the pandemic without having received the vaccine.
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2022-04-18
This oral history is an anonymous interview regarding the hardships of being a low-income citizen during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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2020-12-28
This is a picture of me swimming for the first time after top surgery! I can't even begin to explain how free I felt. One of the things I was worried about was the fact that my fiancé and I not being able to swim because there was people there, but it was completely empty! It was almost like it was meant to be. After being confined about something for so long and being able to take off my shirt in public was so weird! Before this picture, the last time I went swimming was in 2015. And now, I'm able to enjoy the water and the beach with my fiancé.
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2020-04-27
This is my now fiancé, who wasn't too keen about my taking their picture, but this was a huge milestone in her life! We celebrated her 21st birthday during quarantine. Of course, I had to bring her to the ABC store so we could get stuff for margaritas. After the store, we went home to play a Jane Austen theme board game with her parents. She had told me that one of the easiest things about wearing a mask and wanting to wear make-up, is that she only had to do her eyes since everything else was going to be covered up anyways.
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2020-10-09
I traveled from Virginia to Texas for my top surgery. We drove all the way there and stopped in Tennessee on the way there and on the way back. I hadn't gotten the vaccine yet for COVID-19 and I was going to be going to a hospital in a different state that I had never been to. This is was the crazy decision I had ever made, but it was so worth it.
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2022-04-18
This audio interview discusses life as a college athlete during the covid-19 pandemic.
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2022-04-12
Using a grant from Civic Wellbeing Partners in Santa Monica, teachers at the Virginia Avenue Park Spring Camp program asked their students, from grades 1 through 8, to envision their hopes for the future. The students responded with drawings (and one story). Facilitated by artist Paula Goldman as part of SMhopes, the students were also asked to rank how happy they were with their lives now, and how they view their future prospects, two indicators of well being.
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2020-06
While the pandemic had made digital communications and networking boom. Anything in the real world came to a screeching halt. I went into Fort Sill, Lawton Oklahoma for Advanced Individual Training (AIT) while had just begun to really put its foot into the door on US soil. Entering the facility we were immediately put in makeshift facilities specifically designed for incoming soldiers, they looked like 2-story mobile homes and each building contained roughly 60-80 troops per floor (can't remember exactly how many fit. but we were packed in there like sardines). We were originally told we would be in the facilities for 2 weeks before we would be allowed onto the rest of the base to begin training. 2 weeks, turned to 4, and that turned into 6 weeks. We weren't allowed to go outside other than to get an MRE and then go right back into our bays. We became so restless we would disassemble bunks and make makeshift pull-up bars, running up and down the hall in order to run miles. Eventually, we were released and allowed to continue training.
Once we had actually begun AIT. We were immediately told that they were "overbooked" the facilities were forced to hold more soldiers than it was designed for due to outgoing flights being halted until an entire flight could be filled with military personal all going to the same location. Masks mandation was very hit or miss. Some days we would go by without them at all, others, we would be told to wear them the moment we got up, even wearing them during physical training, and while on the firing range shooting artillery.
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2022-04-11
This is an Instagram post by alannakate96. This person is celebrating her 26th birthday while wearing a mask. She thanks her family for helping celebrate her day despite having a "spicy cough" as she calls it.
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2022-04-17
This is a Twitter update by ellymelly. She is calling the vaccine mandates "cruel and unscientific" because people who have already gotten the vaccine could get and spread COVID anyway.
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2022-04-18
This is a Twitter update by nilikm. This person is a doctor warning people about the symptoms associated with COVID. The doctor advises people to assume they have COVID-19 anyway if they experience the following symptoms, even if they have had it before. The final piece of advice is to isolate longer than five days, as this doctor does not believe that is enough time.
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2022-04-17
This is a Twitter update by myrabatchelder. This woman is saying how grateful she was for people that avoided large gatherings this year for Easter, yet is being made to share space with unmasked neighbors going to big events.
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2022-04-13
This is a Twitter update by WaytowichNeil. This user is ranting on what he calls the "selfish 11% lunatic fringe." To him, this fringe group is what is causing more problems with fighting COVID. In contrast, he says that 89% did everything they were asked. His frustration is coming from the belief that it is only the fringe deciding public health policy these days.
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2022-04-15
This is a Twitter update from Shelby_Thom. She says that her husband became a long-haul COVID patient. He got vestibular neuritis, which causes severe dizziness. He is unable to work or drive. He was a healthy 34-year-old too prior to this, but now hits his head a few days after recovery.
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2022-04-11
This is a Twitter update from DrLindaMD. This is about a doctor rebutting claims that COVID is over now. She says that she has had five patients in the last week who thought they just had a cold, but it turned out that they had COVID. None of those patients chose to isolate because "it was just a cold."
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2022-04-18
This is a Twitter update by artisfire1. This is about a judge striking down mandates on planes. Tony, otherwise known as atrisfire1, blames it on the selfishness of the right wing in the United States. The comic underneath that is posted helps demonstrate this person's feeling on the matter. The "I'm with them" sign held by an anthropomorphic coronavirus, is there with the anti-mandate crowd, making it apparent that the author of this tweet sees the anti-mandate crowd as the ones who spread the virus the most.
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2022-04-18
How many experiences were altered/lost due to the pandemic and why they mattered.
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2022-04-18
I’ll keep this as short and detailed as possible since I could go on and on about how the past few years sucked but also were good. When COVID-19 came to the United States in 2020 I was a Senior in Highschool about to graduate. I was in band with the wind ensemble and I did winter guard as well. I went to Meridian tech in the afternoon for biomedical sciences and was in all sorts of honors clubs. Because of COVID-19 I missed all of our band competitions in the spring, the rest of winter guard, all of my senior activities, a “normal” graduation, and more. I graduated in July instead of May. I respect and followed the mask mandates but it definitely sucked during times like graduation because that was such a special moment that was tarnished by the pandemic. I feel for the 2021 seniors but they at least had a warning. We didn’t. They had time to plan and we didn’t. After that I went to Oklahoma state university and I’m still there. It’s hard to believe that I’m about to be a Junior in college. The last few years have flown by. I missed out on a lot of opportunities and experiences along with everyone else. Luckily, the pandemic seems to be dying down but I know it’s still here. It pisses me off when people say it’s not that bad. One death or millions of deaths is bad and I wish people respected and understood that. But sadly, some don’t and they take this pandemic as a joke. I have yet to get COVID and I’m very happy about that and don’t plan on getting it ever hopefully. It’s caused de watering consequences on both a personal level and a nation wide level. This past year I had other personal experiences that didn’t help which was that my Grandma passed (from heart condition) unexpectedly, I came out to my parents as a lesbian and they’re homophobic, one of my dogs is in renal failure currently, my elderly neighbor who is like another grandma to me got run over by a car (she’s doing good now), I’ve made mistakes that caused me a lot of pain but I corrected them and am working on myself, and more. I know everything I’m saying is so negative but I can’t recall a whole lot that was positive in the last two years. My best friend is my girlfriend and we’ve been dating for 4 years, I just went to an oddities expo, etc. so at least there’s some positive things. There’s more that I haven’t said but not a whole lot more. Either way since 2020 life has been very hard. Not just for me but everyone. I just hope it goes up from here.
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2020-06-05
I’ve submitted two pictures from my high school graduation. Many 2020 seniors didn’t get to have graduation, I was fortunate enough that my school had one.
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2021-04-01
For me, the start of covid began in the middle of my freshman year of college. Just like everyone else, I took my precautions and even got the vaccine. Around April of 2021, being isolated and forced to accompany myself. I had felt like I was in a transitioning stage of life, I felt the need to grow and do more things for myself. I have completely changed my life around, a full 360. I broke up with my ex-boyfriend because I could see our differences in emotional intelligence and maturity. That was my final straw that made me break out of my cocoon. I had deleted some social media that I felt was a major distraction and a road block for me to grow more confidently. I began focusing more on my school work and connecting with new people. I even got a new serving job and was making good money for being a college kid. I learned to enjoy the things I had forgotten about, such as painting and singing. I learned to connect to myself. This pandemic has opened me up to new opportunities and has provided me with a few life lessons. Life is more than simply succeeding to be at the top. Don’t forget to take a breather and surrender to what the moment is teaching you or blessing you with.
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2020-03
When COVID-19 first surfaced it didn’t seem like a big deal at all. I remember packing for spring break and crossing my fingers that we would have an extended break due to this virus. I never imagined that fast forward two years into the future we would still be in the midst of this pandemic. Zoom was the one thing that sticks out in my head through COVID-19. Without Zoom, I don’t know how we would have been able to continue on with school. The transition from regular schooling to virtual learning was a rough experience but with patience and learning on both the students and the professors ends, we were able to continue learning without having to worry about spreading or contracting COVID-19. To this day, Zoom is still being used by professors. It’s crazy that I will be looking back on my undergraduate experience and one of the most prevalent memories I will hold is learning through my computer screen for the majority of the time.
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2021-08-05
COVID took a huge tole on my family. We were unable to have getting togethers for almost a year since my grandparents are older. This was hard for us because we have multiple get togethers in a year. Last August, both of my great grandparents tested positive with COVID. They both have many underlying health conditions that made their fight hard. My great grandma pulled through but my great grandpa did not. This was a very hard loss for my family because his passing was the first in our close family. The worst part about all of it was that they would not let any of us in the hospital to say goodbye. We had his funeral outside so all of my older relatives could attend and stay safe. COVID years were hard for my family and I am very glad we are finally on the other side of it.
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2020
My parents are very scared of covid, they are in their fifties with a six year old at home. Due to this, I wasn’t allowed to even be home from the time I was a freshman to this day two years later as a junior. I just miss my family. Pictures and FaceTime isn’t enough for me.
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2022-04-12
Mask I found while pumping gas. It's crazy how many masks are just dropped on the ground after using them
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2022-04-04
Screenshot I found from @lovedoveclarke on Twitter. A little dark humor surrounding the many traumatic events we keep experiencing
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2022-03-31
Suicide statistics against queer youth released by the CDC in the first half of 2021. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 queer children attempted suicide.
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2022-04-05
This is a text story from WITN by Justin Lundy. This is a news story on the increase in obesity rates since COVID started. In a study published by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, the average BMI in US adults increased by 0.6% between March 2020 and March 2021. This increase happened even as exercise participation rates increased by 4.4%.
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2022-01-18
This is a news story from New York Daily News by Cathy Young. This is an opinion piece questioning what body positive activists have been claiming about obesity and COVID, with many claiming weight has little to no effect on recovering from COVID. Quoting the CDC, Young says that obesity puts people at greater risk of dying from COVID than those of normal weight.
Other parts of this opinion piece deal with the language surrounding the body positive movement, and how there is no distinction made between listening to medical advice and getting harassed. The author says that this is a major issue because it makes it so people reject sound medical advice at the expense of their own health. She says that while outright harassment is cruel, genuine concern and wanting people to improve their well-being is not.
There is also criticism towards feminist writers in this article, such as Kate Manne, a philosophy professor from Cornell University, that claims all dieting is "morally bad." Young acknowledges that dieting can be unhealthy, but it is not unhealthy in and of itself. She thinks that if you have realistic goals, maintaining a healthy weight is not impossible.
At the end, Young explains that this body positivity movement is destructive towards people, and that those struggling with weight issues should be met with compassion, but not "acceptance."
This essay shows some of the social impacts of COVID. With some people reporting weight gain during lockdowns, it is easy to see why body positivity would be encouraged as a result. Though, since obesity puts one at higher risk for more complications with COVID, or any other disease for that matter, it should not be encouraged, in my own opinion. It is one thing to be shaped differently, it is quite another to accept being obese when it poses many health risks.
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2022-04-08
This is a news story from WBUR by Amory Sivertson, Ben Brock Johnson, and Quincy Walters. This is an interview that has been transcribed about the subreddit r/TheHermanCainAward. This subreddit has over 500,000 members. It is named after Herman Cain, a former businessman and Republican presidential candidate, who died in 2020 after getting the Coronavirus. One of the moderators, "Hammy", says that specific anti-mask and anti-vaccine people are featured on the subreddit in an attempt to influence, and in turn, take what is posted publicly, and throw it back in their faces. In order to get an "award" on the subreddit, one has to die. Nominations are for those that go to the hospital. The subreddit makes sure that all information is verified so people cannot call it "fake." They also go to lengths to black-out names, faces, and places in order to protect privacy. Though, even with attempts to make things anonymous, people are still found out. The moderator "Hammy" also does not wish to include their real name in this interview for fear of harassment. Glenn, someone that got featured in the subreddit, was also in this interview to explain his reasoning. Many of his doubts stem from the way the government has been handling it, in addition to the producers of the vaccine themselves asking for more boosters after the initial vaccine, which to him, doesn't seem normal for a vaccine. Glenn also recounts getting lots of harassment on his own Facebook page after getting featured in the subreddit, saying it isn't treatment their own kids should have to see, like people cheering on his death. Despite being vaccinated, "Hammy" contracted "long COVID." Glenn ended up with COVID pneumonia.
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2022-04-15
This is a news story from Vox by Keren Landman. The author interviews an epidemiologist on new solutions to tackling the virus that do not require shutting things down or forcing masks. The epidemiologist, Jennifer Nuzzo, says that instead of forcing masks, make things more equitable with having rapid testing more readily available, in addition to vaccines, so that people can continue on with their lives without as much interruption. She believes that masks and lockdowns are okay short-term when not much is known about the virus, but since we know more now, and have more testing, vaccines, and treatments, that we do not need these things. Luzzo thinks we should focus on low-access places so that more people have a chance of protecting themselves.
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2022-04-13
This is a news story from WBEZ Chicago by Patrick Smith. This story is about 700 police officers in Chicago refusing to comply with the vaccine mandates. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot promised that officers refusing to abide by the mandate will face consequences by being placed on a no-pay status. Figures from the Chicago Police Department show that almost no officers have faced consequences for refusing vaccination. In total, the number of unvaccinated cops in Chicago is 2,110.
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2022-04-15
This is a text story from Channel 3 News by Jaiyda Tyler. This is about Michigan State University and the mandates for that university. The university has decided to drop the mask mandate, but enforce the vaccine mandate. This new policy will require all participating in the 2022-2023 academic school year to be fully vaccinated and to have received a booster shot. This mandate will affect people participating in the summer 2022 session. All students that do not submit their vaccine information will be prevented from enrolling in the summer 2022 and fall 2022 sessions at MSU.
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2022-01-09
This is a text story by YourTango, written by Joanna Schroeder. This is a story written from the point-of-view by someone that wants others to be vaccinated. At the beginning, she brings up the feelings of distrust some have towards the government, which has been a big reason why some are refusing to get vaccinated. The author then mentions that she has been seeing an increase in patients with heart problems in the pediatric section of hospitals, with some of those cases being due to COVID. Continuing on with this point, the author mentions a peds cardiologist she has been in contact with, and the cardiologist says that there has been an increase in myocarditis cases due to COVID. Later, she says that her left-leaning friends are receptive to data like this, but her right-leaning friends are not. She then pleads that she does not want her unvaccinated friends to die, and that they have a greater chance of getting hospitalized compared to those that are vaccinated. Finally, she ends by saying to not let policies get in the way of good judgement, saying that she is tired of misinformation coming from both sides.
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2022-04-16
This is a news story from Deadline, written by Greg Evans. This story is about Broadway taking away the vaccine mandate, but keeping the mask mandate through May in their venues. It says that The Broadway League has required all 41 venues to mask up through May 31, but vaccination status will not be checked after April 30. Since the beginning of COVID, Broadway has hired extra staff to check vaccination status at the doors of their venues.
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2022-04-15
This is a news story by health.com written by Alyssa Hui. This story is about Moderna expanding its biotechnology into creating new vaccines using similar techniques the COVID vaccines have used. One of these vaccines will be used to help combat RSV, which is a virus that hospitalizes an average of 177,000 adults per year, according to the CDC.
Another illness that Moderna is looking to use vaccines against are four other endemic human coronaviruses. Moderna does not claim they offer 100% guaranteed protection, but that they can benefit people greatly for reducing chances of contracting certain illnesses.
Moderna wants to ensure that the vaccines are safe and will go through testing procedures to do so. They are hoping that there will be more uses for mRNA style vaccines in the future, and not just for the coronavirus.
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2022-04-15
How covid affected my transition from high school to college
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2022-04-15
The pandemic was a very lonely time for us all, some may have felt as though they were pending doom.
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2020-03-15
COVID-19 took so much from me. It took people, friendships, experiences, and so much more. I have pictured a high school diploma. This represents the years I lost in high school but still pushed through and finished. I’ve lacked education from being online. I lost opportunities and experiences. I lost friends. And had scares of losing my father. Covid took so much from me and many others.
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2022-04-14
This is an Instagram post by asianyouthcenterorg. This post is giving information on vaccinations and pregnancy. It says that Pfizer and Moderna are the most recommended vaccines for expecting mothers.
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2022-04-12
This is an Instagram story by endtimeheadline. This is about Philadelphia bringing back the mask mandate, which will have masks be required again at restaurants, shops, offices, and other indoor public spaces.
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2022-03-03
This is an Instagram post by taracomics. This post is a PSA reminding people to be respectful of small businesses that want masks. The reasoning is due to small businesses having less workers, and if too many people get sick, it can't stay open as long, thus giving money issues.
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2022-03-03
This is an Instagram post by roryzacher. This is a meme showing what they think about the virus. This is a popular meme of a guy looking back at a girl in red, with his angry girlfriend in blue to the side of him. This meme became popular in the mid-2010s and has retained its popularity. In this context, it means now that there is a war, the COVID narrative is gone. This is commonly used by pandemic skeptics since they believe many of the COVID restrictions were more political rather than for health reasons. The war this is referencing is the Russian invasion on Ukraine.
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2022-03-03
This is an Instagram post by heretic_designs_shop. This is a cross stitch of an opinion on the vaccines. Since the vaccines have become available, people have been making and selling merchandise with how they feel about the vaccines. The person that owns this shop says that this design is available for purchase.
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2022-03-08
This is an Instagram post by mrjeff2000. This post shows a picture with words on the mask for reasons to keep wearing one. Some of the reasons include: too many still being hospitalized; and the protection of the immunocompromised and disabled.
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2022-03-11
This is an Instagram post by zerowastesrilanka. This is a post advising people to cut the straps off of the mask before disposing of them because it can hurt ocean life. This is one major issue with mask mandates, since disposable masks are the most commonly worn. Having a buildup of too many masks places can hurt the environment, so this group is looking to let people know of how to properly dispose of a mask.
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2022-03-14
This is an Instagram post by gailwaldby. This is a comic of showing you how you can deal with wearing a mask while other people aren't wearing one. Some of the advice includes: ignoring people, focusing on the task at hand, and remembering why you are wearing a mask still. For some, they might have reasons for wanting to continue wearing a mask if they are high risk, or are in contact regularly with people that are high risk. Others might not feel confident in cases not going down as much as the news claims, so that could be another reason to continue wearing a mask. Whatever the case, some might have anxiety standing out if they are one of the only people wearing a mask in a public setting.
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2020-04-13
At the start of the pandemic, the only thing kind of entertainment people relied on was the television or their phone. Like most other high school students who are addicted to their phone, I was one of them. I was always laying in my bed scrolling through TikTok or looking on Snapchat. I mean, that was the number one thing to do. We weren't allowed to be out of the houses, going to sports events because the sad reality was that all of them got canceled. A couple months after the pandemic began, I started to lose interest being on my phone, it was no longer a source of entertainment, more rather repetitive. I've always loved art, drawing, crafting, making things at home. I grew up with an artistic, crafty mother. I decided that I wanted to create panting to hang up in my room, that is how it all began. I wanted to add more decorations to my room, and I admired the fact that it was my own art. Every day, I would sketch, draw and paint a different piece. I honestly fell in love with it, and I realized it was kind of like an escape from reality. I wasn't ever focused on anything else when I was painting, even though I am a perfectionist. I started showing my family members and friends my artwork and shortly after, people were asking me to paint them a custom piece. Of course, I couldn't say no so, I got the opportunity to paint my, soon to be, little sisters name board for her baby room. My family absolutely loved it and so did I. I wanted to expand the type of art I was creating so I decided to decorate my high school cap for my graduation that had been postponed, due to the pandemic. I sketched the outline of a paw print and filled the inside with different types of orange flowers, since I was going to Oklahoma State University and studying in animal sciences, I thought it was fitting. Through the rest of the pandemic up until school started back up and I was off to college, I was creating art. I used to look back at the pandemic and remember all negative moments that had happened, like the second half of my senior year getting canceled and summer not feeling like summer. Now, I feel like I've matured enough mentally to realize that I got to explore more about myself and learn about what kind of things make me happy, something not a lot of people get to do or even realize they can do.
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2022-03-15
This is an Instagram post by shamaamoo. This is a PSA for vaccine requirements for those going on a pilgrimage. It shows a variety of vaccines that are accepted for this, as it includes many people from around the world. Pilgrimages have been affected by the virus since they include lots of travel and spaces with lots of people in one area.
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2022-03-23
This is an Instagram post by vivekcherianmd. This post is by someone advising others to continue wearing masks despite a lot of the restrictions being lifted because young kids are not eligible to be vaccinated yet. This person recommends people use KN95 and N95 masks to best protect themselves. In the picture, we see an illustration of a kid in a mask saying "masks save lives."
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2020-03-12
It's March 2020, a young freshmen college student is packed and ready to head to the airport for her one and only shot at study abroad for the next 4 years. As she lugs her suitcase down the stairs of her dorm she gets an email that she will never forget, the study abroad trip has been cancelled do to an outbreak of new viral disease in Berlin Germany. Disappointed she headed back upstairs to call her parents and let them know. She unpacks, and repacks from her home in Texas instead. Once home she receives another email from her school, classes will be online for 2 weeks after spring break due to this new viral disease going around. She's upset but settles in to doing class at home. Then comes another email. School will be online for the rest of her semester, move out from the dorms will be staggered over the next couple of weeks and return date to campus is unknown. She is upset and sad over the loss over the end of her freshmen year, but hopeful that this new disease will settle down and that life will be able to return to normal in the fall. Alas this was not true and the series of unfortunate emails just keep coming, email after email. She kept being disappointed and heart-broken over all the loss of memories and chances do to a virus. 2 year later, she now wonders will the emails ever stop?
