Louie
Covid-History Item Type Metadata
Age
41
Date
04/05/2021
Location
Albany
When did the impact of COVID-19 first occur to you? How did your reaction to COVID-19 change between then and the first case in your town?
2/20/2020
How is your life different now than it was before the pandemic?
Masks, handwashing very regularly, cold & flu season without interruption, spouse traveling a lot for COVID response work, job started in late 2019 seems far from my expectations
How are you feeling? What are you doing to relieve stress?
Depression and anxiety are regular companions. Psychiatric medication. Spending time with pets. Sleeping. Staying up very late working on projects. Substance abuse.
What have you noticed has changed in your community since the outbreak? What has surprised you?
Stress levels seem high. Interactions are either grateful and ebullient or strained and brief.
Are you a business owner who has had to close? If you are still open, how have you had to adjust how your business operates?
Every plan need increased redundancy and backup planning.
Are you an essential employee? What do you do? What precautions are being taken at your workplace? What precautions are implementing at home?
Yes, county employee in libraries. Masks & social distancing required at work, temperature screening and self-report of symptoms has eased with time. Home precautions include being able to take body temperature regularly.
Are you an employee who has been laid off or furloughed? Were you able to get unemployment? Were you able to retain your health insurance?
No
Are you working from home? What adjustments or challenges are you experiencing?
My spouse is. We don't have a home office/second office. Compulsions to work more, longer, interrupt home life and so on are all much more prevalent. No work life / personal life balance
Do you have children at home? How’s it going?
No. With what I hear from colleagues and friends, I am very glad to not also be figuring out how all of that is supposed to work.
If you’re a student, was school canceled? Were you able to complete your studies online? Do you think you’ll be back on campus in the fall?
No
Did you have to postpone any major life events? (e.g. Graduation, wedding, major birthday) What did you do instead?
I've done outdoor and drive-by birthday celebrations with family. Graduations scheduled were shifted to online only.
Do you have animals? Did you adopt a pet? How have they impacted your day?
Other animals are my daily family. I spend a lot of time with them. I feed and interact with wild animals much more.
What positive things did you contribute to or notice take place?
I volunteer with numerous organizations mostly centered around outdoor activities and sports. Many people seem eager to engage with nature.
Did you or someone you know contract COVID-19? What was it like?
Many people through work have had COVID scares or positive diagnoses, including some long-haulers. A somewhat distant relative caught the virus and died. It's been dis-empowering, sad, negative.
If you lost someone during the pandemic, how did you celebrate their lives?
I did not celebrate the life of the distant relations that passed away. I should have reached out more to family that were closer to the loss.
What do you wish you knew before the pandemic began?
My job wouldn't be improving. The housing market would be vibrant for a while.
What would you want future generations to know about the 2020 pandemic? How would you recommend they prepare for it?
Listen to experts, read science.
How do you think this pandemic will change how we behave going forward? What will the “new normal” look like?
Rigorous hygiene, masking and social distancing during seasons of illness
Dublin Core
Title
Louie
Subject
COVID-19 (Disease)
Publisher
Southern Adirondack Library System
Date
04/05/2021
Contributor
Southern Adirondack Library System
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Language
English
Type
Covid History
Identifier
12549558258
Coverage
Coronavirus Pandemic
Collection
Citation
“Louie,” Leaving Our Fingerprints on History, accessed April 18, 2024, https://fingerprints.sals.edu/omeka/items/show/341.